The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is urging a judge to force Alphabet, Google’s parent company, to sell its Chrome browser in a significant antitrust move against the tech giant, according to Bloomberg.
This comes after a landmark trial in which Google was ruled to have operated an illegal monopoly, particularly in online search, where it controls 90% of the U.S. market and 95% of mobile search.
The DOJ is considering “structural” changes to Google’s business, including divesting the Chrome browser or its Android operating system.
Other proposed remedies include curbing Google’s use of website data for AI and preventing the bundling of Android with other Google services.
This crackdown follows scrutiny of Google’s exclusive agreements, such as paying manufacturers like Apple to make its search engine the default, a practice deemed to have entrenched its dominance.
While Google has dismissed such proposals as “radical,” it’s expected to appeal any ruling, likely extending the legal battle to the Supreme Court.
If enacted, these measures would mark the most significant U.S. regulatory action against a tech giant in decades, comparable to attempts to break up Microsoft in the 1990s.