WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR/WAVY)– The Department of Justice has asked a court to force Google to sell Chrome, after a judge ruled the company is a monopoly.
In a new filing, the DOJ asked a judge to break up the massive tech company because of the monopoly.
“This is completely absurd, to be quite honest,” said Amy Bos of NetChoice.
A ruling from the judge said Google owns 89.2% of the market for search and that number grows to 94.9% on mobile devices.
Bos represents members of the online business community.
“Even critics of Google acknowledge that Chrome dominates because it’s so good,” said Bos.
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) took Google to court when he worked as Missouri’s attorney general.
“Google’s just gotten too big and should be busted up,” said Schmitt.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares released a statement on the filing, which can be read below:
“The remedies proposed are reasonable, measured steps to restore competition and protect consumers,” Miyares said. “Virginia is proud to help produce a balanced resolution that benefits consumers and competitors alike.”
The Department of Justice also wants the judge to change the way Google handles Android and YouTube and how it makes deals with Apple for the iPhone.
“Weakening our top tech companies, it hands a huge advantage to rivals in China and Europe, who don’t have the same privacy standards,” said Bos.
The Department of Justice criticized the multibillion dollar deals Google made with companies like Apple, to make Google the default search engine on iPhones.
“There’s a reckoning coming in the new administration,” said Schmitt.
With a new president and new administration on the horizon, the Missouri senator says he hopes prosecutors will keep trying to break up big tech companies.
Bos doesn’t see it that way.
“Trump is a businessman. He knows how these things work,” Bos said.
The judge is expected to rule by the end of next summer.
Google has not filed a response to the Department of Justice’s request.
