DOJ Drops Forced Sale of Google's AI Investments, Seeks Chrome Sale

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has withdrawn its proposal that would have forced Google to divest its minority stake in AI company Anthropic, a competitor to OpenAI, amid ongoing antitrust litigation. The DOJ and 38 state attorneys general are still pursuing a court order to compel Google to sell its Chrome browser to address alleged monopolistic practices in online search. The revised proposal requires Google to notify antitrust authorities before making further investments in generative AI to mitigate potential adverse effects on the evolving AI landscape. Google plans to appeal this decision and has suggested changes to its agreements with partners like Apple regarding default search settings. A trial regarding these matters is scheduled for April, continuing a significant legal battle that began under the Trump administration. The case reflects broader scrutiny of Big Tech companies and their competitive practices in various markets.