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US to Push for Google to Sell Chrome in Antitrust Case
Chrome Browser
The US government is set to call for the forced sale of Google’s popular Chrome browser as part of a major antitrust case against its parent company, Alphabet, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday.
Officials from the US Department of Justice, who declined to comment on the report, are expected to push for the divestment of Chrome in a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The move is part of a broader effort to break up Google’s monopoly in the tech industry, a stance the government has taken after the company was found to be operating an illegal monopoly.
In October, Justice Department officials stated that they were considering “structural” changes to Google’s business model, including the potential breakup of its Android operating system or the Chrome browser. Such a move would mark the most significant regulatory action against a tech giant since the government’s failed attempt to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Google has dismissed the idea as "radical," with Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the Chamber of Progress, an industry trade group, calling the proposal “fantastical” and arguing it defies legal standards. Kovacevich has instead called for more narrowly focused remedies.
The request to sell Chrome comes as part of the next phase in a landmark antitrust trial that saw Google labeled a monopoly by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta in August. Other potential remedies being discussed include requiring Google to make its search data available to competitors.
Despite the looming court decision, Google is expected to appeal, which could prolong the legal process for years, possibly reaching the US Supreme Court. The trial focused on Google’s secretive agreements with smartphone makers, including Apple, that paid for exclusive rights to make Google the default search engine on browsers, iPhones, and other devices. These deals, the court found, allowed Google to amass unprecedented access to user data, consolidating its dominance in search.
In 2020, Google controlled 90% of the US search market, and 95% of the market on mobile devices. As part of the antitrust case, regulators are also considering restrictions on Google’s ability to use website data for its AI and preventing the bundling of Android with other Google services.