The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust lawsuit against Google is ongoing, with proposed remedies that include forcing Google to divest its Chrome browser and prohibiting Google Search from sharing revenue with its partners. Such measures would directly impact browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.
Each year, Google pays Apple approximately $20 billion to secure its position as the default search engine on Safari. Similarly, Google also compensates Mozilla to maintain its status as Firefox’s default search provider.
Should the DOJ’s proposed remedies receive court approval, Google would no longer be able to pay for its placement as the default search engine on Safari and Firefox. This could prove catastrophic for Firefox, which heavily relies on revenue-sharing agreements with Google Search to sustain its operations.
This week, the Mozilla Foundation published a blog post in response to the DOJ’s proposed measures. Mark Surman, Executive Director of Mozilla Foundation, stated:
“These proposed remedies prohibiting search payments to small and independent browsers miss the bigger picture—and the people who will suffer most are everyday internet users. Independent browsers like Firefox are on the frontlines of protecting consumer privacy, driving browser innovation, and giving people real choice on how they experience the web. But instead of promoting a fair fight, the DOJ’s remedies would tilt the playing field further into the hands of a few dominant players, diminishing consumer choice and weakening the broader internet ecosystem.”
Mozilla’s Key Objections:
- The DOJ seeks to ban all search agreements between Google and browsers, even for independent browsers with minimal market share.
- Dominant companies like Apple do not depend on search revenue, as they generate substantial income from hardware sales, operating systems, and app stores.
- Independent browsers like Firefox rely heavily on search revenue to fund development and maintain competitiveness; without this income, their survival would be at risk.
- Penalizing independent browsers does not address the core issue. Court findings indicate that independent browsers account for just 1.15% of search queries in the U.S., meaning severing Firefox’s search agreements would not solve the broader competition concerns.
- These measures fail to dismantle Google Search’s overwhelming dominance, at least not in a decisive way, but they could cripple independent browsers like Firefox, ultimately harming competition and reducing consumer choice.
Mozilla also highlighted the critical issue of browser engine diversity. Currently, the market is dominated by just three browser engines: Chromium Blink, Apple WebKit, and Firefox Gecko.
In reality, the vast majority of browsers—Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi—are based on Chromium Blink. Apple’s WebKit engine is used exclusively by Safari. This leaves Firefox Gecko as the sole cross-platform alternative to Chromium.
If the DOJ prohibits Google from paying independent browser developers, Mozilla’s ability to sustain and advance Gecko will be jeopardized. Without adequate funding, the continued development of Gecko and Firefox could be at risk, leading to a severe decline in browser engine competition. This, in turn, could spell the demise of an open web, as control would increasingly consolidate under Google and Apple.
Mozilla is calling on U.S. regulators and policymakers to recognize the indispensable role of independent browsers. The organization urges decisive action to cultivate competition and innovation, ensuring that the digital landscape continues to serve the public interest.
Mozilla remains committed to fostering an open and competitive internet ecosystem—one where independent browsers can thrive, and consumers retain genuine freedom of choice.
Related Posts:
- DOJ’s Radical Proposal: Could Google Be Forced to Sell Chrome and Android?
- Google Under Fire Again: EU Prepares Antitrust Lawsuit Over Search Practices
- Google’s Antitrust Showdown: DOJ Demands Chrome Separation, Android Reforms
