Is it Time to Ditch Google and Chrome to Prioritize Privacy?
DOJ Wants Google to Sell Chrome & Give Away “User-side Data"
Details↓
Last week the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed judgment recommendations for District Judge Amit Mehta after the anti-trust ruling against Google on August 6, 2024. To break up Google’s search monopoly, the DOJ wants the company to sell their Chrome Browser and to stop paying third-parties like Firefox and Apple who in return make Google the default search engine on their products.
Google responded by calling the proposals “unprecedented government overreach” which would “endanger the security and privacy of millions of Americans.” The tech giant will offer up its own suggested remedies by December 20th after which it’s expected to appeal the ruling altogether.
The Rundown↓
KNOW that the DOJ wants Google to sell Chrome, though it’s more probable they’ll restrict third-party default search engine agreements.
REALIZE Google relies on data for ad revenue while there are third-party browsers and search engines that prioritize privacy over data collection.
EXPLORE browsers like Firefox and Brave along with a search alternative like DuckDuckGo and Brave.
Commentary↓
Will Google sell Chrome? It’s not going to happen any time soon, if at all. It has been four years since the lawsuit was first filed on October 20, 2020, Judge Mehta likely won’t reach a remedies decision until next summer, and the appeals process could take years. It’s hard to imagine the court imposing the transaction, and it could be a bracketing strategy aiming for more punishment to settle for less. So while the the DOJ and Google are duking it out in court… what does this mean for the rest of us?
Lost in the news are the DOJ’s ideas about “User-side Data.” In addition to selling Chrome, the document states Google must “provide Qualified Competitors, at no cost, with access to User-side Data on a non-discriminatory basis while safeguarding personal privacy and security.” Kent Walker, the Chief Legal Officer who authored Google’s response, interprets that as “not just Google’s innovations and results, but even more troublingly, Americans’ personal search queries.”
Though the DOJ’s emphasis on user privacy may protect personal Google searches associated to us from being passed on to a competitor, the fact remains that whether or not Chrome is sold, Google still collects and harbors a ton of our data every time we surf and search the web with their products.
It’s time to consider moving away from behemoths like Google, Apple, and Microsoft and using third-party browsers and search engines built on privacy, not data collection.
Google and Chrome thrive on data collection, and there are certainly better alternatives that protect your privacy. For browsing we recommend Firefox and Brave, and DuckDuckGo and Brave for searching. Add in a VPN like Proton or NordVPN and you’re setting yourself up for privacy success. After all, why wait any longer to see what happens between the DOJ and Google? Users making the switch could make the case irrelevant before it’s even completely settled.
So what’s your take? Do you think Google will have to sell Chrome? Are the DOJ’s recommendations overreach? Would you agree it’s good idea to consider alternatives for browsers and search? Comment below!
Quick Notes↓
Mr. Walker asserts that restricting third-party default search engine agreements could be devastating to browsers like Firefox, who depends “on charging Google for Search placement.” We’ll be tracking this story as it progresses and how it impacts Firefox, one of our go-to privacy browsers.
Another angle to consider in this story is AI development. Has Google already begun losing its search dominance to AI competitors?
Looking to learn more about how browsers and VPNs protect your privacy? We walk through this in Module 4 of “Driver’s Training for Social Media” which is available now to “Behind the Curtains” annual subscribers.