U.S. Justice Department Drops Bid to Force Google's AI Divestment, Maintains Other Antitrust Measures

US drops bid to make Google sell AI investments in antitrust case

March 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday dropped a proposal to force Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ still seeks a court order requiring Google to sell off its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington. Reporting by Jody Godoy Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Boards, Policy & RegulationRegulatory Oversight

US drops bid to make Google sell AI investments in antitrust case

March 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday dropped a proposal to force Alphabet's Google to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general still seek a court order requiring Google to sell its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington. Spokespeople for Google and Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Google holds a minority stake worth billions of dollars in Anthropic. Losing the investment would hand a competitive advantage to OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, Anthropic wrote to the court in February. The DOJ first made a draft recommendation in November. Prosecutors then continued to seek evidence from Google competitors and AI companies. The evidence showed a risk that banning Google from AI investments "could cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space," prosecutors said in the final proposal on Friday. They asked that Google be required to give prior notice to the government about future investments in generative AI. Google, which has said it will appeal, has made its own proposal that would loosen agreements with Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine on new devices. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial on the proposals for April. The blockbuster case brought during President Donald Trump's first term kicked off a crackdown against Big Tech companies that extended into former President Joe Biden's administration. Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon.com also face allegations of maintaining illegal monopolies in their respective markets. Since Trump's reelection, Google has sought to make the case that the DOJ's approach in the case would hobble the company's ability to compete in AI and "jeopardize America's global economic and technological leadership." Many of the measures prosecutors proposed in November remain intact with a few tweaks. A requirement that Google share search query data with competitors now says that Google can charge for the cost of access and that the competitors must not pose a national security risk. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio)

Google Can Keep Anthropic AI Investment Under Antitrust Proposal

Alphabet Inc.'s Google can keep its existing investments in artificial intelligence startups like Anthropic, but would be required to notify antitrust enforcers before investing in any more AI companies under a revised Justice Department proposal filed Friday in the agency's landmark antitrust case over search. In a court filing, antitrust enforcers said that barring Google from investments in AI could "cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space." The remainder of the Justice Department's proposed remedy - including a forced sale of the Chrome web browser - is largely unchanged from November.

Feds drop bid to make Google sell AI investments -- but still seek...

The Justice Department on Friday dropped a proposal to force Alphabet's Google to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general still seek a court order requiring Google to sell its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington. Spokespeople for Google and Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Google holds a minority stake worth billions of dollars in Anthropic. Losing the investment would hand a competitive advantage to OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, Anthropic wrote to the court in February. The DOJ first made a draft recommendation in November. Prosecutors then continued to seek evidence from Google competitors and AI companies. The evidence showed a risk that banning Google from AI investments "could cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space," prosecutors said in the final proposal on Friday. They asked that Google be required to give prior notice to the government about future investments in generative AI. Google, which has said it will appeal, has made its own proposal that would loosen agreements with Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine on new devices. US District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial on the proposals for April. The blockbuster case brought during President Trump's first term kicked off a crackdown against Big Tech companies that extended into former President Joe Biden's administration. Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon also face allegations of maintaining illegal monopolies in their respective markets. Since Trump's reelection, Google has sought to make the case that the DOJ's approach in the case would hobble the company's ability to compete in AI and "jeopardize America's global economic and technological leadership." Many of the measures prosecutors proposed in November remain intact with a few tweaks. A requirement that Google share search query data with competitors now says that Google can charge for the cost of access and that the competitors must not pose a national security risk.

US drops antitrust case against Google over AI, not Chrome

The U.S. Department of Justice dropped a proposal Friday to force Alphabet's Google to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general still seek a court order requiring Google to sell its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington. "The American dream is about higher values than just cheap goods and 'free' online services. These values include freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to innovate, and freedom to compete in a market undistorted by the controlling hand of a monopolist," prosecutors wrote. A spokesperson for Google said the "sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the court's decision, and would harm America's consumers, economy and national security." A spokesperson for Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would continue a crackdown on Big Tech, which began during his first term and continued into former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration. Trump has tapped veteran antitrust attorney Gail Slater to lead the DOJ's efforts. Google holds a minority stake worth billions of dollars in Anthropic. Losing the investment would give a competitive advantage to OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, Anthropic wrote to the court in February. Evidence prosecutors obtained since making their draft recommendation in November showed a risk that banning Google from AI investments "could cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space," they said in the final proposal Friday. They asked that Google be required to give prior notice to the government about future investments in generative AI. Google, which has said it will appeal, has made its own proposal that would loosen agreements with Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine on new devices. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial on the proposals for April. The blockbuster case is one of several U.S. antitrust cases against Big Tech companies. Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon.com also face allegations of maintaining illegal monopolies in their respective markets. Since Trump's reelection, Google has sought to make the case that the DOJ's approach in the case would hobble the company's ability to compete in AI and "jeopardize America's global economic and technological leadership." Many of the measures prosecutors proposed in November remain intact with a few tweaks. For example, a requirement that Google share search query data with competitors now says that Google can charge a marginal fee for access and that the competitors must not pose a national security risk. The proposal drew statements of support from Democratic and Republican attorneys general as well as the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA.

US drops bid to make Google sell AI investments in antitrust case

The DOJ still seeks a court order requiring Google to sell off its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington.The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday dropped a proposal to force Alphabet's Google to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general still seek a court order requiring Google to sell its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington. "The American dream is about higher values than just cheap goods and 'free' online services. These values include freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to innovate, and freedom to compete in a market undistorted by the controlling hand of a monopolist," prosecutors wrote. A spokesperson for Google said the "sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the Court's decision, and would harm America's consumers, economy and national security." A spokesperson for Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. President Donald Trump has said he would continue a crackdown on Big Tech, which began during his first term and continued into former President Joe Biden's administration. Trump has tapped veteran antitrust attorney Gail Slater Google holds a minority stake worth billions of dollars in Anthropic. Losing the investment would hand a competitive advantage to OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, Anthropic wrote to the court in February. Evidence prosecutors obtained since making their draft recommendation in November showed a risk that banning Google from AI investments "could cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space," they said in the final proposal on Friday. They asked that Google be required to give prior notice to the government about future investments in generative AI. Google, which has said it will appeal, has made its own proposal that would loosen agreements with Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine on new devices. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial on the proposals for April. The blockbuster case is one of several U.S. antitrust cases against Big Tech companies. Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon.com also face allegations of maintaining illegal monopolies in their respective markets. Since Trump's reelection, Google has sought to make the case that the DOJ's approach in the case would hobble the company's ability to compete in AI and "jeopardize America's global economic and technological leadership." Many of the measures prosecutors proposed in November remain intact with a few tweaks. For example, a requirement that Google share search query data with competitors now says that Google can charge a marginal fee for access and that the competitors must not pose a national security risk. The proposal drew statements of support from Democratic and Republican attorneys general as well as the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA.

DOJ Lets Google Keep AI Investments, but Not Chrome

(Credit: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Google will be allowed to keep its existing AI investments but may still be forced to divest its dominant Chrome browser, following a final judgment by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The search giant has been a huge investor in the AI space, pumping $3 billion into start-up Anthropic, which produces the Claude chatbot. In the court filing, the DOJ ruled that stopping Google from making investments in AI could "cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space." "Plaintiffs are no longer advocating for this specific remedy; however, they continue to be concerned about Google's potential to use its sizable capital to exercise influence in AI companies," the filing read. Google will still have to abide by strict rules when it comes to its AI investments in the future and provide advance notification "to permit a review of proposed transactions." The final judgment comes after a landmark ruling by the DOJ in November 2024, which found Google guilty of a litany of monopolistic practices in one of the biggest antitrust cases in American history. The 58-page ruling said, "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired." The majority of the November ruling remained intact in the final judgment, with some changes. For example, a requirement that Google share search query data with competitors now allows Google to charge for the cost of access, Reuters notes. Google has been highly critical of some of the DOJ's efforts so far to rein it in, calling the previous ruling "extreme" in a November blog post and alleging that selling off Chrome could expose search queries to "unknown foreign and domestic companies." Google's legal team still has some fierce battles ahead. A trial is scheduled for April to decide the legality of Google's agreements with companies like Apple about setting Google as the default search engine on new devices, in exchange for an annual fee. The judge presiding over the antitrust suit, US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, shot down Apple's plans to halt this stage of proceedings in February. AI continues to play a huge role in Google's plans for the future. The company revealed in an earnings call last year that it is now using AI to write more than a quarter of its new code.

New DOJ proposal still calls for Google to divest Chrome, but allows for AI investments

The US Department of Justice is still calling for Google to sell its web browser Chrome, according to a Friday court filing. The DOJ first proposed that Google should sell Chrome last year, under then-President Joe Biden, but it seems to be sticking with that plan under the second Trump administration. The department is, however, no longer calling for the company to divest all its investments in artificial intelligence, including the billions Google has poured into Anthropic. "Google's illegal conduct has created an economic goliath, one that wreaks havoc over the marketplace to ensure that -- no matter what occurs -- Google always wins," the DOJ said in a filing signed by Omeed Assefi, its current acting attorney general for antitrust. (Trump's nominee to lead antitrust for the DOJ still awaits confirmation.) For that reason, the DOJ said it hasn't changed the "core components" of its initial proposal, including the divestment of Chrome and a prohibition on search-related payments to distribution partners. On AI, the DOJ said it's no longer calling for "the mandatory divestiture of Google's AI investments" and will instead be satisfied with "prior notification for future investments." It also said that instead of giving Google the option to divest Android now, it will leave a future decision up to the court, depending on whether the market becomes more competitive. This proposal follows antitrust suits filed by the DOJ and 38 state attorneys general, leading Judge Amit P. Mehta to rule that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search. Google has said it will appeal Mehta's decision, but in the meantime offered an alternative proposal that it said would address his concerns by providing partners with more flexibility. A Google spokesperson told Reuters that the DOJ's ""sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the Court's decision, and would harm America's consumers, economy and national security." Mehta is scheduled to hear arguments from both Google and the DOJ in April.

The DOJ reaffirms its stance on Google selling off Chrome

Chrome Canary just killed uBlock Origin and other Manifest V2 extensions Summary The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has reiterated that it wants Google to divest Chrome to promote competition in internet search. Google may also be required to sell Android if its proposed remedies are ineffective. Meanwhile, the DOJ has offered some relief to Google for its future AI-related acquisitions. Following an August ruling by a federal court deeming Google a "monopolist," the US Department of Justice (DOJ) was tasked with finding solutions to curb the company's dominance. Then in November, the DOJ proposed multiple remedies, one of which was to sell off the Google Chrome browser. Now, in a revised proposal submitted to the court over the weekend, the DOJ has reiterated that it wants Google to divest Chrome, though the search giant has received some good news regarding its current and upcoming AI investments. Related Google Chrome's visual refresh makes your work profile look less like your personal browser New badging and sign-in flow make a clear difference Posts 3 The DOJ, along with 38 state attorneys general, reaffirmed in a 27-page final proposal that they still want Google to sell the Chrome browser "to provide an opportunity for a new rival to operate a significant gateway to search the internet, free of Google's monopoly control" (via Reuters). As for the agency's proposal to sell Android, the filing says this step will need to be taken if the remedies proposed by Google aren't effective or if the company finds a way to "circumvent" some of the proposed solutions. Commenting on this development, a Google spokesperson told Reuters the "sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the Court's decision, and would harm America's consumers, economy and national security." Some reprieve for Google's AI investments In what will come as some solace for Google, the DOJ dropped its proposal to curb Google's AI acquisitions. AI startup, Anthropic, which has a considerable investment from Google, told the court last month that losing the funding could cede some of its product's advantage to rivals like Microsoft and OpenAI. This change in stance comes after investigators reportedly learned of the "unintended consequences" of banning Google from investing in AI companies like Anthropic. However, prosecutors said Google should be asked to notify the authorities before making AI-related acquisitions. Google, for its part, submitted a few proposals in December, though selling off Chrome wasn't one of them. It's worth mentioning that Google has already confirmed it will appeal the decision. The DOJ's proposals will go to trial next month under U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. A remedies ruling is expected to come by summer this year, but that won't be the end. With the appeal likely taking a year or two, perhaps even more, we won't know the fate of Google Chrome for a while.

DOJ: Google Can Keep AI Investments but Must Sell Chrome | PYMNTS.com

That's according to a report Friday (March 7) by Reuters, which said the government is still seeking a court order that would compel the tech giant to sell its Chrome browser, following a judge's ruling that Google held an illegal search monopoly. "The American dream is about higher values than just cheap goods and 'free' online services. These values include freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to innovate, and freedom to compete in a market undistorted by the controlling hand of a monopolist," prosecutors wrote in court papers. A Google spokesperson told Reuters that the Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposals "continue to go miles beyond the Court's decision, and would harm America's consumers, economy and national security." The DOJ and a coalition of state attorneys general sued Google in 2020, alleging the company engaged in unlawful competitive practices to uphold its search and advertising dominance. A judge sided with prosecutors and will hear evidence on how to proceed in April. Last month, Anthropic -- the AI startup in which Google has invested $3 billion -- asked the court to allow Google to keep its AI investments. "A remedy that requires Google to terminate its relationship with Anthropic would harm both Anthropic and competition more generally," the company's filing said in a court filing. In other Google/AI news, the company last week debuted a search capability dubbed "AI mode." This still-experimental offering is "AI Overviews on steroids," PYMNTS wrote, able to carry out more advanced reasoning and thinking. It also has multimodal capabilities, meaning it can understand other types of content besides text, while also letting users ask follow-up queries. "AI Mode is particularly helpful for questions that need further exploration, comparisons and reasoning," Robby Stein, vice president of product at Google, wrote in a blog post.

US Drops Bid to Make Google Sell Anthropic Investments in Antitrust Case

Banning Google from AI investments could cause unintended consequence The US Department of Justice on Friday dropped a proposal to force Alphabet's Google to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general still seek a court order requiring Google to sell its Chrome browser and take other measures aimed at addressing what a judge said was Google's illegal search monopoly, according to court papers filed in Washington. "The American dream is about higher values than just cheap goods and 'free' online services. These values include freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to innovate, and freedom to compete in a market undistorted by the controlling hand of a monopolist," prosecutors wrote. A spokesperson for Google said the "sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the Court's decision, and would harm America's consumers, economy and national security." A spokesperson for Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. President Donald Trump has said he would continue a crackdown on Big Tech, which began during his first term and continued into former President Joe Biden's administration. Trump has tapped veteran antitrust attorney Gail Slater to lead the DOJ's efforts. Google holds a minority stake worth billions of dollars in Anthropic. Losing the investment would hand a competitive advantage to OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, Anthropic wrote to the court in February. Evidence prosecutors obtained since making their draft recommendation in November showed a risk that banning Google from AI investments "could cause unintended consequences in the evolving AI space," they said in the final proposal on Friday. They asked that Google be required to give prior notice to the government about future investments in generative AI. Google, which has said it will appeal, has made its own proposal that would loosen agreements with Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine on new devices. US District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial on the proposals for April. The blockbuster case is one of several US antitrust cases against Big Tech companies. Apple, Meta Platforms, and Amazon.com also face allegations of maintaining illegal monopolies in their respective markets. Since Trump's reelection, Google has sought to make the case that the DOJ's approach in the case would hobble the company's ability to compete in AI and "jeopardise America's global economic and technological leadership." Many of the measures prosecutors proposed in November remain intact with a few tweaks. For example, a requirement that Google share search query data with competitors now says that Google can charge a marginal fee for access and that the competitors must not pose a national security risk. The proposal drew statements of support from Democratic and Republican attorneys general as well as the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA. © Thomson Reuters 2025