The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been considering so-called remedies since a landmark court ruling in August which found Google illegally crushed its competition in online search.

If the DOJ pushes ahead with the proposed remedies - and they are accepted by the judge in the case - it would represent arguably the biggest regulatory intervention in the history of big tech.

Google has pushed back hard against the proposals, describing them as "radical" and "sweeping" and claiming they "risk hurting consumers, businesses, and developers."

Google has become the go-to search engine for nearly every internet user in the world, accounting for about 90% of all online searches.

The DOJ accuses the company of using its other products, such as the Chrome browser and Android operating system, to funnel users to its search engine, where it makes money by selling adverts.

"Google’s unlawful conduct persisted for over a decade and involved a number of self-reinforcing tactics," the DoJ said in a court filing.

It said this meant potential competitors were unable to get a foothold in the online search market.

It says this lack of competition has allowed Google to charge abnormally high prices for adverts "while degrading the quality of those ads and the related services".

The DOJ is considering "remedies that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play [its app store], and Android to advantage Google search and Google search-related products".

The DOJ is expected to submit a more detailed set of proposals by 20 November.

Google will be able to submit its own proposed remedies by 20 December.

AzVision.az

More about: UnitedStates   Google