Wed Nov 20 14:11:45 UTC 2024: ## Google Faces Order to Sell Chrome Browser: DOJ Seeks to Break Up Search Monopoly
**Washington D.C.** – The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly poised to ask a judge to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell its Chrome browser, aiming to dismantle what it alleges is a monopoly over internet search and advertising. The move, which could be proposed as early as Wednesday, comes after a landmark August ruling that found Google guilty of operating an online search monopoly.
The DOJ’s proposed remedy, first reported by Bloomberg, would require Google to divest its immensely popular Chrome browser, which holds nearly 90% of the global market share and approximately 61% of the US market. The agency believes this drastic measure is necessary to prevent Google from leveraging its dominance to stifle competition.
The potential sale of Chrome, estimated to be worth $15-$20 billion by Bloomberg Intelligence, is just one component of the DOJ’s broader antitrust case. Other proposed remedies include ending exclusive search agreements with companies like Apple and imposing data licensing requirements on Google.
Google has vehemently opposed the DOJ’s actions, calling the proposals “radical” and claiming that forcing a sale of Chrome would harm consumers, businesses, and American competitiveness in artificial intelligence. The company argues that separating Chrome from its other services would disrupt its business model, increase device costs, and weaken its ability to compete with Apple.
Judge Amit Mehta, who oversaw the initial ruling, is expected to make a final decision by August 2025. Google has indicated it intends to appeal the ruling if it goes against them, presenting its arguments in December. The case, initiated during the Trump administration, is one of the most significant antitrust battles in recent history, with far-reaching implications for the technology industry.
First Piper 