U.S. government to Google: sell Chrome

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Google might have to sell Chrome, despite its ranking as the best browser you can use. After ruling that Google has illegally monopolized the search market, the U.S. Department of Justice is pushing for Google to sell off Chrome to break up its search dominance. Chrome currently represents over 65% of the browser market, far ahead of any competitors.

According to Bloomberg’s reporting, officials from the DOJ and several states who have joined the case will recommend to federal judge Amit Mehta that Google sell off Chrome in order to rebalance the scales. Google parent company Alphabet has been involved in the lawsuit since early 2020. In August, Mehta ruled that Google illegally obtained a search monopoly and called for sanctions against the tech giant.

In addition to the DOJ, the attorney generals of 38 states have joined the lawsuit. The trial lasted more than two months late last year, culminating in the ruling Mehta handed down in August. Now that the DOJ has won the ruling, it’s filing proposals as to what should be done to break Google’s monopoly.

Chrome is a critical part of that. The browser represents “a key access point” for new users to get involved in Google’s ecosystem of services, according to Bloomberg’s sources. Although officials settled on Chrome, the DOJ also considered a proposal that would force Google to sell off Android, but officials targeted Chrome as a less severe option.

Google says it plans to appeal the August decision, but that appeal hasn’t manifested yet. As it stands now, Mehta will hold a two-week trial in April 2025 to address the illegal practices and issue a ruling in August of next year.

Although Chrome is the main target, the DOJ is targeting other areas of Google as well. For instance, officials are recommending that Google be forced to license the content it uses in its AI products, such as the AI overviews that appear in search results. In addition, officials are recommending that Google detach Android from other products, such as the Google Play Store.

We’ve yet to see the end of this years-long saga as the DOJ prepares its recommendations and Google works on its appeal. If Google is forced to sell Chrome, however, that would represent a massive shake-up in the tech space. At over 65% share, Chrome is by far the most popular browser in the world. The next closest Windows competitor is Microsoft Edge, which represents just 5% of the market.