U.S. says Google must sell Chrome browser to break search engine monopoly

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has demanded Google sells Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser, to end the company’s monopoly in online search.

It is one of a series of remedies proposed by the DOJ in a court filing late on Wednesday.

The government, through its lawyers, also asked that Washington D.C. District Judge Amit Mehta force Google to stop entering into contracts with companies – including Apple and Samsung – that make its search engine the default on many smartphones and browsers.

The proposals are part of an ongoing antitrust case sparked by a ruling in August, where Judge Mehta concluded that Google had stifled competition in search.

Government lawyers argue that these actions are needed to “reactivate the competitive process” in a market long dominated by Google. They contend that restoring competition in search and search advertising requires dismantling Google’s monopolistic practices.

A group of U.S. states supports the DOJ’s position, viewing these measures as essential for opening the market to competition. In contrast, Google strongly opposes the proposals.

“Restoring competition to the markets for general search and search text advertising as they exist today will require reactivating the competitive process that Google has long stifled,” the government lawyers wrote.

In response, Google said that with its proposals, the DOJ “chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership.”

“[The] DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision,” said Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google.

“It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives.”

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Google Anger

Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, described the DOJ’s demands as “radical” and harmful, warning that such sweeping changes would harm consumers and damage America’s global tech leadership.

The DOJ’s proposals not only target Google’s search engine but also address its control over Chrome and Android.

Chrome, the most popular browser globally, funnels users toward Google Search, making it a critical tool for maintaining Google’s dominance. The DOJ wants Google to sell Chrome, potentially forcing a major restructuring of the company.

While the DOJ isn’t demanding an immediate spin-off of Android, it has left that possibility open if Google fails to comply with other proposed measures.

Beyond Chrome, the DOJ seeks to curb Google’s ability to self-preference its search services. This includes ending deals where Google pays companies like Apple to make its search engine the default and ensuring that competitors can access Google’s search index at a “marginal cost.”

The government is also pushing for more transparency in Google’s search algorithms and wants to allow websites to opt out of Google’s AI-driven search summaries without facing penalties.

Google’s search engine accounts for about 90% of all online searches globally, according to web traffic analysis platform Statcounter.