DOJ proposes separating Google search from Chrome and Android

The US Department of Justice - headed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, pictured above - following a decision against Google in its most recent antitrust trial - has filed with the US District Court in DC a "proposed remedy framework" that would force the search giant to separate its search services from the Chrome browser and the Android operating system.

Intent is to prevent Google from using Chrome and Android to create and sustain advantage over competitors in the search arena.

DOJ also proposes requiring Google to share its search algorithms with competitors.

In the latest antitrust decision against Google, District Court Judge Amit Mehta found that Google had violated antitrust laws by paying companies like Apple and Mozilla to make Chrome the default search engine on their web browsers and Android devices.

Google argues that what the DOJ proposes would have "significant unintended consequences" for consumers, businesses and American competitiveness, including raising the cost of internet devices and services and threatening users' privacy and security.

Some legal experts have expressed the opinion that if DOJ attempts to force the breakup of Google, a court could well find that to be improper, because less extreme measures were not first pursued - as happened when DOJ proposed the breakup of Microsoft 20 years ago.

Will DOJ attempt to break up Google? If so, what then? Stay tuned.