Mozilla Warns Stricter Google Penalties Could Force Browser Exit

A Mozilla friend-of-the-court brief filed in an ongoing antitrust case warns that stricter penalties for Google could force the company to exit the browser market, threatening user choice and privacy protections.

The brief argues that a ban on payments from Google would be devastating to independent browser developers like Mozilla, which relies on revenue from search engine distributions to fund its operations.

Mozilla's concerns stem from a 2020 lawsuit against Google for allegedly violating antitrust laws by arranging exclusive distribution contracts with major tech companies, including Apple and Android devices.

In 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had indeed maintained a monopoly in two markets: general search services and search text ads. The judge's remedies order prohibited Google from entering into such contracts for six years but allowed the company to continue paying Apple, Mozilla, and other distributors.

However, federal and state antitrust enforcers have asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the portion of Mehta's order that permits payments to these companies. If successful, this could lead to a ban on Google's payments, forcing Mozilla and others to either continue offering Google as a default search engine without revenue or enter into agreements with 'lesser quality' search engines.