On Friday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which acts as a key privacy regulator, endorsed the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) plan requiring Alphabet’s Google to share search data with its competitors, citing sufficient measures to ensure user privacy is safeguarded.
This proposal is part of a broader set of reforms the DOJ asserts are necessary to enhance competition in the online search market, following an August ruling that identified Google as holding an illegal monopoly.
The judge presiding over the case in Washington has received considerable feedback from a variety of experts and interest groups, both supporting and opposing the DOJ’s initiatives, as the trial draws to a close later this month. The outcome of this legal battle could significantly alter the internet landscape, potentially displacing Google as the primary source for online information.
The FTC indicated that increasing competition in this sphere will elevate the expectations for Google to enhance its privacy policies.
In response, Google has attempted to counter the DOJ’s data-sharing initiative, with CEO Sundar Pichai arguing that such measures would jeopardize the company’s proprietary information and could negatively impact user privacy.
According to the FTC, the proposal includes the establishment of a committee responsible for overseeing compliance, mirroring the agency’s previous privacy-related resolutions.
Additionally, the DOJ, along with state attorneys general, has requested that the court mandate Google to divest its Chrome browser and discontinue its lucrative agreements with Apple and other companies that designate Google as the default search provider on new devices.
Google has contended that making its agreements non-exclusive, a change it has already begun to implement, represents a more appropriate strategy.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised by the DOJ and state attorneys general regarding the potential for Google to extend its dominance into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI).
AI startup Anthropic, which partners with Google, expressed in court documents on Friday that requiring Google to notify the DOJ prior to any AI investments or partnerships could serve as a “significant disincentive” for the tech giant to engage with smaller AI firms, potentially stifling innovation.
Anthropic, in which Google holds a minority stake valued at billions, argued that this proposed requirement would ultimately be detrimental rather than beneficial for AI competition.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
