WASHINGTON (CNN/CNN Newsource/WKRC) – The federal government has proposed a partial breakup of Google.
The U.S. government formally proposed a partial breakup of Google on Wednesday, urging a federal judge to mandate the sale of the company’s Chrome web browser. In a court filing, the Department of Justice’s antitrust enforcers argued that spinning off Chrome could help prevent an illegal monopoly from recurring.
If approved, the penalties could revolutionize how millions of Americans search for information and potentially disrupt the tight integration among many of Google’s key products and services. This move follows a landmark ruling earlier this year that found Google had violated U.S. antitrust law with its search business.
Google has promised to appeal the ruling. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday’s filing.