Google lists 6 ways in which DoJ’s ‘breakup proposal’ will hurt customers and America’s tech leadership – Times of India

Google has responded to the US Department of Justice’s “extreme proposal”, hours after it proposed a breakup of the tech giant to curb its dominance in the search engine market in a 23-page filing. In response, Google said that the Justice Department’s “staggering proposal” will not only “hurt consumers” but also “America’s global technological leadership”.
In a statement, Google termed the proposals “a radical interventionist agenda” and listed 5 areas that will be affected by the breakup of the company.

Google on how the proposal will impact the company and users

Google said that given the “extreme proposal”, its concerns centre around several key areas:
Security and privacy risks: Mandating the sale of Chrome can endanger the security and privacy of millions of users by potentially disrupting Google’s integrated security features and creating vulnerabilities
Forced data sharing: Requiring Google to disclose sensitive information, including user search queries, to unknown entities raises concerns about data privacy and potential misuse.
Stifled innovation: Restrictions on Google’s investments in artificial intelligence (AI) can also hinder advancements in this critical field, “where Google plays a leading role.”
Harm to competitors: Google used the example of Mozilla’s Firefox in explaining that proposed remedies can inadvertently harm innovative services, which rely on partnerships with Google for revenue.
Reduced user choice: Deliberately hindering access to Google Search could limit user choice and disrupt established online habits.
Government overreach: Finally, it said that appointing a “Technical Committee” with broad powers over Google Search and other technologies raises concerns about government micromanagement.
“As just one example, DOJ’s proposal would literally require us to install not one but two separate choice screens before you could access Google Search on a Pixel phone you bought. And the design of those choice screens would have to be approved by the Technical Committee. And that’s just a small part of it. We wish we were making this up,” the company said.
Google also noted that DoJ’s approach will result in unprecedented government overreach that will harm American consumers, developers and small businesses as well as may the country’s global economic and technological leadership at precisely the moment it’s needed most.