Google has proposed a series of restrictions that would bar the company from requiring its partners to distribute its generative AI chatbot, Gemini Assistant, to their US users for three years. This proposal counters the US Justice Department’s call for Google to loosen its grip over partners and share more data with competitors, as well as divest its Chrome browser business. The battle follows a ruling by US district judge Amit Mehta, who found that Google violated federal antitrust laws through deals it struck to be the default search provider on iOS and other software. The emergence of chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini as competitors to traditional search engines has been a concern in the court proceedings. However, it could be years before any curbs on Google go into effect, leaving investors bullish about the company’s prospects. Google has attributed its dominance in search to developing an experience beloved by users, while the Justice Department argues that users stick with the default on their phones and browsers, often Google. The company’s proposal on Friday shows that it is not willing to lose those defaults entirely.
