The DOJ vs. Google: Breaking down the latest in the antitrust case and what it means for Chrome’s future

Almost to the weekend! If you’re a fan of ad-libbing at work, you’re in good company. Billy Bob Thornton told Business Insider about how his famous halftime speech from ‘Friday Nights Lights’ was somewhat off the cuff.

In today’s big story, the Justice Department wants Google to sell Chrome.

What’s on deck:

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The big story

Sale: All browsers must go

The Justice Department wants to put a “For Sale” sign on one of Google’s key assets.

The DOJ has asked the judge in its antitrust case against Google to force the tech giant to sell Chrome, its massively popular browser. Business Insider’s Hugh Langley and Lara O’Reilly have a full rundown on the recommendation and who stands to benefit and lose.

Let’s break it all down:

The government is forcing Google to break up? What in the late 90s Microsoft is going on? Sort of. In August, a judge ruled Google violated antitrust laws and acted as a monopoly when it came to its search engine. Now the DOJ is recommending how it should be punished, and it wants Chrome gone.

So that’s it? Not even close, buddy. Google will have a chance to respond next month with its own plan before the judge makes a ruling next year. Even then, Google will likely fight any decision, delaying the process a few more years.

Ok, but in the meantime, what does the DOJ’s recommendation mean for Google? It’s certainly a blow. Chrome holds a majority of the US browser market share (61%). That makes it a powerful distribution arm for Google since Chrome’s default search engine is … Google. In short, Chrome sends a ton of search data and traffic Google’s way that it can leverage in a number of ways.

So is Google screwed? Not quite. This is still one of the largest and most powerful tech companies in the world. Losing out on three billion monthly Chrome users won’t be painless, but it has other ways to collect data and traffic (Gmail, YouTube, etc.) An adtech executive described losing Chrome to Hugh and Lara as “a manageable inconvenience” for Google.

What about Chrome? That’s a more complicated question. For a sale, Chrome’s valuation is difficult to calculate considering how deeply intertwined it is with Google (a Bloomberg analysis put it at anywhere from $15 billion to $20 billion). And, from a financial perspective, it’s not clear if it could even operate independently.

Is this good news for anybody? Advertisers and search rivals are probably pumped. Many feel they were negatively impacted by Google’s monopoly. There’s already been chatter about a class-action lawsuit from advertisers that could seek more than $100 billion in damages.

How’s the rest of Big Tech feeling? Probably not great. As much as they all compete for customers, none of them want to see more regulation. And Apple was making at least $20 billion a year by defaulting to Google Search.

Wait. Is any of this even going to happen considering the change in administration? It’s the elephant in the room. The original antitrust complaint was filed under then-President Donald Trump. And Matt Gaetz, Trump’s pick to run the DOJ, has a history of going after Big Tech. But his confirmation for the role is far from guaranteed, to say the least.

News brief

Top headlines

3 things in markets

1. What life after Marc Rowan could look like at Apollo. The PE giant’s CEO is reportedly in the running to be Treasury secretary under President-elect Donald Trump. A stock-research analyst who covers Apollo said its copresidents, Scott Kleinman and Jim Zelter, could take over the top spot, or even share it.
2. Making AI dreams come true. As Morgan Stanley’s head of firmwide AI, Jeff McMillan’s ultimate goal is for the technology to be ingrained into workers’ everyday lives. To achieve this, he’s devised a multi-step process that begins with employees pitching their AI solutions and ends with getting it into production.
3. The other stocks doing well since Trump won. You’ve likely heard about the ‘Trump trade’ that’s sent stocks like Tesla soaring. But these under-the-radar companies — including operators of private correctional facilities and government-sponsored mortgage giants — are also riding high.

3 things in tech

1. Nvidia smashes earnings expectations, but investors still want more. The AI giant reported third-quarter revenue at a little more than $35 billion on Wednesday, beating analysts’ expectations by nearly $2 billion. But that wasn’t enough for investors — and its stock was down more than 3% in pre-market trading early Thursday.
2. Google and YouTube built a “mind-blowing” music AI tool that never saw the light of day. Orca, a collaboration between Google’s DeepMind and YouTube, could generate an authentic-sounding song when prompted with just a few simple prompts, sources told BI. But the project ran up against major copyright risks, forcing Google to shelve it.
3. It’s giving online shopping, IRL. A new experiential store in Los Angeles blends aspects of livestreaming with in-person retail, featuring a physical space with rows of hosts selling products live on TikTok shop. Like the app’s For You page, it’s apt to draw in visitors who weren’t planning on shopping at all.

3 things in business

1. Comcast wants to change the channel on its cable TV networks. The media conglomerate is set to ditch its cable networks, including MSNBC, CNBC, and USA, into a new publicly-traded company separate from the rest of its media business. The news worried CNBC anchors, who projected low-key panic as they addressed viewers on-air Wednesday. (But don’t worry, ‘Housewives’ fans, Bravo isn’t going anywhere.)
2. Target earnings miss the bullseye. The retailer’s shares plummeted after it posted disappointing earnings and cut guidance. CEO Brian Cornell described a shift in shoppers’ behavior. Faced with tight budgets, they’ve cut back on impulsive purchases and little treats.
3. DOGE, in its own words. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, co-commissioners Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy explained how they plan to reduce head count at federal agencies. They expect to phase out remote work and offer workers early retirement. Here are seven key details from their op-ed.

What’s happening today

• John Deere and Gap report earnings.
• President Biden hosts the Boston Celtics at the White House.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London.