Latest news with #Chrome
Ammon
an hour ago
- Business
- Ammon
Google makes case for keeping Chrome browser
Ammon News - Google on Friday urged a US judge to reject the notion of making it spin off its Chrome browser to weaken its dominance in online search. Rival attorneys made their final arguments before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, who is considering imposing "remedies" after a landmark decision last year that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search. US government attorneys have called on Mehta to order Google to divest itself of Chrome browser, contending that artificial intelligence is poised to ramp up the tech giant's dominance as the go-to window into the internet. They also want Google barred from agreements with partners such as Apple and Samsung to distribute its search tools, which was the focus of the suit against the Silicon Valley internet giant. Three weeks of testimony ended early in May, with Friday devoted to rival sides parsing points of law and making their arguments before Mehta in a courtroom in Washington. John Schmidtlein, an attorney for Google, told Mehta that there was no evidence presented showing people would have opted for a different search engine without the exclusivity deals in place. Schmidtlein noted that Verizon installed Chrome on smartphones even though the US telecom titan owned Yahoo! search engine and was not bound by a contract with Google. Of the 100 or so witnesses heard at trial, not one said "if I had more flexibility, I would have installed Bing" search engine from Microsoft, the Google attorney told the judge. Economic Times
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Google judge mulls softer remedies in US search antitrust case
By Jody Godoy WASHINGTON: A federal judge in Washington suggested on Friday he is considering making Alphabet's Google take less aggressive measures to restore competition in online search than the 10-year regime proposed by antitrust enforcers. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard closing arguments on Friday at a trial on proposals to address Google's illegal monopoly in online search and related advertising. "Ten years may seem like a short period, but in this space, a lot can change in weeks," he said, citing recent developments such as ChatGPT maker OpenAI buying a device startup. The DOJ and a coalition of states want Google to share search data and cease multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other smartphone makers to be the default search engine on new devices. At the hearing, the judge floated the possibility of limited data sharing and ending the payments only if other measures do not increase competition. He also grappled with the rise of artificial intelligence products that could replace traditional search engines. An alternate default search engine in Apple's Safari browser is unlikely to come from existing rival search engines like DuckDuckGo or Bing, the judge said. "If anything it's going to be one of these AI companies that can do more than just search. And why? Because maybe people don't want 10 blue links anymore," he said, referring to earlier iterations of Google's search engine. The case has already rattled Google's share price by exposing Apple's plans to offer AI-based search options. The trial began in April and Mehta has said he aims to rule by August. AI "RIVALS"? Antitrust enforcers are concerned about how Google's search monopoly gives it an advantage in AI products like Gemini and vice versa. Nick Turley, OpenAI's product head for ChatGPT, testified that the ChatGPT creator is years away from its goal of being able to use its own search technology to answer 80% of queries and that having access to Google search data would help it focus on improving ChatGPT. Turley also said OpenAI would be interested in buying Chrome if Google is forced to sell it. But Mehta questioned whether companies like OpenAI or Perplexity should be considered Google competitors who would be given access to any data Google is required to share, given that the case focused on search engine competitors. "It seems to me you now want to kind of bring this other technology into the definition of general search engine markets that I am not sure quite fits," the judge said to DOJ attorney Adam Severt. Severt replied that while the first part of the case focused on the past, the remedies must be forward-looking. John Schmidtlein, an attorney for Google, said at the hearing that while generative AI is influencing how search looks, Google has addressed any concerns about competition in AI by no longer entering exclusive agreements with wireless carriers and smartphone makers including Samsung Electronics , leaving them free to load rival search and AI apps on new devices. Schmidtlein argued it would be inappropriate to give successful AI companies like OpenAI technology that Google has spent 20 years perfecting. "Coming to Google and asking Google for a handout when they are the market leader seems completely disproportionate to what this case is about," he said.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Google makes case for keeping Chrome browser
Google on Friday urged a US judge to reject the notion of making it spin off its Chrome browser to weaken its dominance in online search. Rival attorneys made their final arguments before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, who is considering imposing "remedies" after a landmark decision last year that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search. US government attorneys have called on Mehta to order Google to divest itself of Chrome browser, contending that artificial intelligence is poised to ramp up the tech giant's dominance as the go-to window into the also want Google barred from agreements with partners such as Apple and Samsung to distribute its search tools, which was the focus of the suit against the Silicon Valley internet weeks of testimony ended early in May, with Friday devoted to rival sides parsing points of law and making their arguments before Mehta in a courtroom in Washington. John Schmidtlein, an attorney for Google, told Mehta that there was no evidence presented showing people would have opted for a different search engine without the exclusivity deals in place. Schmidtlein noted that Verizon installed Chrome on smartphones even though the US telecom titan owned Yahoo! search engine and was not bound by a contract with the 100 or so witnesses heard at trial, not one said "if I had more flexibility, I would have installed Bing" search engine from Microsoft, the Google attorney told the judge. 'More flexibility' Department of Justice (DoJ) attorney David Dahlquist countered that Apple, which was paid billions of dollars to make Chrome the default browser on iPhones, "repeatedly asked for more flexibility" but was denied by contends that the United States has gone way beyond the scope of the suit by recommending a spinoff of Chrome, and holding open the option to force a sale of its Android mobile operating system."Forcing the sale of Chrome or banning default agreements wouldn't foster competition," said Cato Institute senior fellow in technology policy Jennifer Huddleston."It would hobble innovation, hurt smaller players, and leave users with worse products."Google attorney Schmidtlein noted that more than 80 percent of Chrome users are outside the United States, meaning divestiture would have global ramifications."Any divested Chrome would be a shadow of the current Chrome," he contended."And once we are in that world, I don't see how you can say anybody is better off."The potential of Chrome being weakened or spun off comes as rivals such as Microsoft, ChatGPT and Perplexity put generative artificial intelligence (AI) to work fetching information from the internet in response to user online search antitrust suit was filed against Google some five years ago, before ChatGPT made its debut, triggering AI is among the tech companies investing heavily to be a leader in AI, and is weaving the technology into search and other online offerings. Kneecap Google? Testimony at trial included Apple vice president of services Eddy Cue revealing that Google's search traffic on Apple devices declined in April for the first time in over two testified that Google was losing ground to AI alternatives like ChatGPT and pressed rival attorneys regarding the potential for Google to share data as proposed by the DoJ in its recommended remedies."We're not looking to kneecap Google," DoJ attorney Adam Severt told the judge."But, we are looking to make sure someone can compete with Google."Schmidtlein contended that data Google is being asked to share contains more than just information about people's online searches, saying it would be tantamount to handing over the fruit of investments made over the course of decades."There are countless algorithms that Google engineers have invented that have nothing to do with click and query data," Schmidtlein said."Their remedy says we want to be on par with all of your ingenuity, and, respectfully your honour, that is not proportional to the conduct of this case."
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Google judge mulls softer remedies in US search antitrust case
A federal judge in Washington suggested on Friday he is considering making Alphabet's Google take less aggressive measures to restore competition in online search than the 10-year regime proposed by antitrust enforcers. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard closing arguments on Friday at a trial on proposals to address Google's illegal monopoly in online search and related advertising. 'Ten years may seem like a short period, but in this space, a lot can change in weeks,' he said, citing recent developments such as ChatGPT maker OpenAI buying a device startup. The DOJ and a coalition of states want Google to share search data and cease multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other smartphone makers to be the default search engine on new devices. At the hearing, the judge floated the possibility of limited data sharing and ending the payments only if other measures do not increase competition. He also grappled with the rise of artificial intelligence products that could replace traditional search engines. An alternate default search engine in Apple's Safari browser is unlikely to come from existing rival search engines like DuckDuckGo or Bing, the judge said. 'If anything it's going to be one of these AI companies that can do more than just search. And why? Because maybe people don't want 10 blue links anymore,' he said, referring to earlier iterations of Google's search engine. The case has already rattled Google's share price by exposing Apple's plans to offer AI-based search options. The trial began in April and Mehta has said he aims to rule by August. Antitrust enforcers are concerned about how Google's search monopoly gives it an advantage in AI products like Gemini and vice versa. Nick Turley, OpenAI's product head for ChatGPT, testified that the ChatGPT creator is years away from its goal of being able to use its own search technology to answer 80% of queries and that having access to Google search data would help it focus on improving ChatGPT. Turley also said OpenAI would be interested in buying Chrome if Google is forced to sell it. But Mehta questioned whether companies like OpenAI or Perplexity should be considered Google competitors who would be given access to any data Google is required to share, given that the case focused on search engine competitors. 'It seems to me you now want to kind of bring this other technology into the definition of general search engine markets that I am not sure quite fits,' the judge said to DOJ attorney Adam Severt. Severt replied that while the first part of the case focused on the past, the remedies must be forward-looking. John Schmidtlein, an attorney for Google, said at the hearing that while generative AI is influencing how search looks, Google has addressed any concerns about competition in AI by no longer entering exclusive agreements with wireless carriers and smartphone makers including Samsung Electronics , leaving them free to load rival search and AI apps on new devices. Schmidtlein argued it would be inappropriate to give successful AI companies like OpenAI technology that Google has spent 20 years perfecting. 'Coming to Google and asking Google for a handout when they are the market leader seems completely disproportionate to what this case is about,' he said.
eNCA
3 hours ago
- Business
- eNCA
Google makes case for keeping Chrome browser
USA - Google on Friday urged a US judge to reject the notion of making it spin off its Chrome browser to weaken its dominance in online search. Rival attorneys made their final arguments before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, who is considering imposing "remedies" after a landmark decision last year that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search. US government attorneys have called on Mehta to order Google to divest itself of Chrome browser, contending that artificial intelligence is poised to ramp up the tech giant's dominance as the go-to window into the internet. They also want Google barred from agreements with partners such as Apple and Samsung to distribute its search tools, which was the focus of the suit against the Silicon Valley internet giant. Three weeks of testimony ended early in May, with Friday devoted to rival sides parsing points of law and making their arguments before Mehta in a courtroom in Washington. John Schmidtlein, an attorney for Google, told Mehta that there was no evidence presented showing people would have opted for a different search engine without the exclusivity deals in place. Schmidtlein noted that Verizon installed Chrome on smartphones even though the US telecom titan owned Yahoo! search engine and was not bound by a contract with Google. Of the 100 or so witnesses heard at trial, not one said "if I had more flexibility, I would have installed Bing" search engine from Microsoft, the Google attorney told the judge. - 'More flexibility' - Department of Justice (DoJ) attorney David Dahlquist countered that Apple, which was paid billions of dollars to make Chrome the default browser on iPhones, "repeatedly asked for more flexibility" but was denied by Google. Google contends that the United States has gone way beyond the scope of the suit by recommending a spinoff of Chrome, and holding open the option to force a sale of its Android mobile operating system. "Forcing the sale of Chrome or banning default agreements wouldn't foster competition," said Cato Institute senior fellow in technology policy Jennifer Huddleston. "It would hobble innovation, hurt smaller players, and leave users with worse products." Google attorney Schmidtlein noted that more than 80 percent of Chrome users are outside the United States, meaning divestiture would have global ramifications. "Any divested Chrome would be a shadow of the current Chrome," he contended. "And once we are in that world, I don't see how you can say anybody is better off." The potential of Chrome being weakened or spun off comes as rivals such as Microsoft, ChatGPT and Perplexity put generative artificial intelligence (AI) to work fetching information from the internet in response to user queries. The online search antitrust suit was filed against Google some five years ago, before ChatGPT made its debut, triggering AI fervor. Google is among the tech companies investing heavily to be a leader in AI, and is weaving the technology into search and other online offerings. - Kneecap Google? - Testimony at trial included Apple vice president of services Eddy Cue revealing that Google's search traffic on Apple devices declined in April for the first time in over two decades. Cue testified that Google was losing ground to AI alternatives like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Mehta pressed rival attorneys regarding the potential for Google to share data as proposed by the DoJ in its recommended remedies. "We're not looking to kneecap Google," DoJ attorney Adam Severt told the judge. "But, we are looking to make sure someone can compete with Google." Schmidtlein contended that data Google is being asked to share contains more than just information about people's online searches, saying it would be tantamount to handing over the fruit of investments made over the course of decades. "There are countless algorithms that Google engineers have invented that have nothing to do with click and query data," Schmidtlein said. "Their remedy says we want to be on par with all of your ingenuity, and, respectfully your honor, that is not proportional to the conduct of this case."
