Google plays the ‘China card’ as it says DOJ’s proposed measures would harm US economy

Google

Google is pushing back against the U.S. Department of Justice’s sweeping remedies in the ongoing search antitrust case, arguing that the government’s proposals would cause more harm than good to consumers, innovation, and national security.

In a new blog post, the company criticised the DOJ’s attempts to impose restrictions that it claims go far beyond the court’s initial ruling in the 2020 lawsuit. “With new services like ChatGPT (and foreign competitors like DeepSeek) thriving, DOJ’s sweeping remedy proposals are both unnecessary and harmful,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president, regulatory affairs, Google.

The DOJ is expected to propose structural changes, potentially including the breakup of key Google products like Chrome and Android. But Google argues that such a move would “break those platforms,” disrupt businesses that rely on them, and undermine the security infrastructure the company has built over years. According to Google, this could lead to cybersecurity vulnerabilities and higher device costs.

The company also warned that restricting its ability to compete for default search positions would weaken innovation and raise prices. Many device makers and browsers, like Mozilla’s Firefox, rely on Google’s search revenue. Removing that, the company says, would destabilize the ecosystem.

Google is particularly concerned about user privacy. It claims the DOJ’s proposal would force it to share search data with unknown third parties, increasing the risk of misuse. And with global AI competition heating up, Google believes a DOJ-appointed oversight board would stifle American innovation just as rivals like China accelerate their own efforts.

While Google has confirmed plans to appeal the court’s decision, it says it’s first focused on the remedy phase. The company insists there’s a more balanced path forward — one that addresses legal concerns without dismantling services millions use every day.