Topline
The Justice Department will soon request a federal judge order Google to sell its Chrome web browser, according to Bloomberg, marking the latest development in an antitrust case against Google after a judge ruled this summer the tech giant illegally maintained a search monopoly.
A final ruling in the antitrust case against Google is slated for August 2025. (Photo by Silas … [+]
Key Facts
The department will recommend federal judge Amit Mehta, who issued the search monopoly ruling in August, force Google to sell off Chrome—one of Google’s most valuable assets and an integral part of its multi-billion dollar advertising business.
DOJ officials also plan to ask Mehta to require that Google license the results and data from Chrome and provide websites with more options to stop their content from being scraped by Google’s artificial intelligence products, according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed people familiar with the matter.
If Google makes some of the changes and creates a more competitive market by doing so, the government can later decide if a Chrome sell-off will still be necessary, Bloomberg reported, noting antitrust officials walked back an option that would have forced the sale of Android—the operating system behind billions of phones, tablets, televisions and more.
Google and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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Surprising Fact
66.7%. That’s the browser market share that Google Chrome commands, a vastly larger market share than Safari (18%), Edge (5%) and Firefox (3%), according to statcounter.
Big Number
$65.9 billion. That is how much Google’s primary advertising business generated in its latest quarter, making up a majority of the $88.3 billion in revenue the tech giant reported.
Key Background
Mehta ruled in August that Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, used exclusive distribution agreements and charged “supracompetitive prices for general search text ads” that led to “anticompetitive behavior.” The DOJ and several states specifically accused Google of striking exclusive agreements with tech companies that required Google as the default search engine on cell phones and computers, allegedly creating an anticompetitive and exclusionary market. Mehta is now determining what actions Google can take to remedy its alleged antitrust violations as the company plans to appeal the August ruling. The changes required of Google will be addressed in April ahead of a final ruling in August 2025.
Further Reading
DOJ Will Push Google to Sell Chrome to Break Search Monopoly (Bloomberg)
Google Illegally Acted As A Search Monopoly, Judge Rules In Major Case (Forbes)