The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ), alongside several states, has filed a formal request with a federal court to compel Google to sell its Chrome browser as part of its ongoing antitrust case. This demand comes after a key ruling in August 2024, where Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia concluded that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in the online search market. The court’s finding has prompted the government to escalate its efforts to address what it sees as anti-competitive practices by the tech giant, which currently dominates the global search engine market with over 90% market share.
The DOJ’s request is part of a broader strategy to break up Google and address the company’s monopoly status, specifically in search. Chrome, which has an estimated global market share of 67%, is a significant factor in this case. The government argues that Google’s control over Chrome, in addition to its search engine, further solidifies its dominance and unfairly influences users’ browsing habits. If the court agrees, Google could face enormous changes to its operations, with Chrome potentially being sold for as much as $20 billion, according to Bloomberg.
In addition to the potential sale of Chrome, the U.S. government is also targeting Google’s Android operating system. The DOJ has called for Google to either divest Android or be prohibited from mandating its search services on devices using the platform. The move is aimed at curbing Google’s power by limiting its ability to control the default search engine on Android devices and browsers, which is a central point of the government’s case. These demands represent a significant challenge to Google’s current business model, which relies heavily on its integrated ecosystem of products.
This legal battle is not only pivotal for Google but could also set important precedents for future antitrust actions against other tech giants, such as Amazon, Apple, and Meta. Legal experts suggest that the threat of breaking up Google could be a negotiating tactic to force the company to reconsider its exclusive agreements, such as the one it has with Apple to be the default search engine on iPhones. Judge Mehta’s upcoming ruling, expected in the summer of 2025, will be closely watched by the tech industry, as it could reshape the competitive landscape in significant ways.
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