The Justice Department is asking a federal judge to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser after the government's antitrust lawsuit over its monopolistic practices in Google's search business was won, according to a new report from Bloomberg. It has been decided to do so.
bloomberg report Antitrust officials at the U.S. Department of Justice have decided to force Google to sell its popular Chrome web browser. The move comes as part of an ongoing antitrust case against Google, in which a federal judge ruled in August that the tech giant illegally monopolizes the online search market. I put it down.
Bloomberg claims that antitrust enforcement officials will also recommend that the judge impose additional measures related to Google's AI products and Android smartphone operating system, according to people familiar with the Justice Department's plans. This includes forcing Google to license search data and results to competitors, giving websites more ability to prevent their content from being used by Google's AI, and making Android more accessible to users like Search and the Play Store. That could include cutting it off from other Google services.
Owning the dominant Chrome browser is seen as crucial to Google's advertising business, which generates most of the search giant's revenue. Chrome allows Google to understand user activity when logged in, allowing for more effective ad targeting. The browser has also become an important funnel for driving users to Google's AI products like Gemini.
If Chief Justice Amit Mehta accepts the Justice Department's proposal, it could dramatically change online search and the emerging AI industry. The antitrust lawsuit against Google was originally filed during the Trump administration and represents the most aggressive attempt by the government to rein in Big Tech since its failed attempt to break up Microsoft in the early 2000s.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement that the Justice Department is promoting “extreme policies” that harm consumers, developers and U.S. technology leaders. Google plans to appeal the August ruling that it violated antitrust laws.
The Justice Department has backed away from the more drastic option of forcing the sale of Google's Android mobile operating system. But officials still want to separate Android from Google's other products bundled with it. It also requires advertisers to have greater transparency and control over their advertising.
The forced sale of Chrome depends on finding a buyer for the browser, which has more than 60 percent market share in the United States. Potential acquirers like Amazon face their own antitrust scrutiny that could thwart such deals. One analyst suggested OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, as a potential buyer interested in both Chrome's distribution and advertising businesses.
The Justice Department's proposed remedies are aimed at introducing more competition and innovation into online search, which is dominated by Google. Rival search engines and AI startups could use forced access to Google's search index, data and syndicated results to improve their services and viability.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
