US government proposes forcing Google to sell Chrome to break up monopoly

The US government has proposed that Google should be made to sell its Chrome web browser to reduce its control over online searches, which a judge says is like a monopoly.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) also wants rules to stop Google from using its Android software to give its search engine an unfair advantage.

The breakup was proposed in a 23-page document filed on Wednesday, November 21, 2024, by the US Department of Justice, which can potentially upend a business expected to generate over $300 billion in revenue this year.

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An earlier plan however, included the sale of Android, too. However, there is no demand for such a proposal anymore, though the department asked the judge to clarify that Google may be required to do so if its oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct.

All this follows the August ruling by Judge Amit Mehta, which branded the company as a monopolist.

Regulators under President Joe Biden’s administration have been operating quite severely, as in this case, according to the report, which added that the Justice Department decision-makers who will inherit the case after the newly elected Donald Trump takes office next year may not be as strident, especially if Trump replaces Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the antitrust division.

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Trump even expressed concerns that such a breakup might destroy Google, but didn’t give details on alternative penalties.

The hearing is scheduled to begin in April with Mehta aiming to issue the final decision before Labor Day.

If Mehta agrees to the proposal, Google will have to sell its 16-year-old Chrome browser within six months of the ruling. The Justice Department also wants to ban Google from making multibillion-dollar deals to make Chrome the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices, as well as from favouring its other products like YouTube and Gemini AI.

They also want Google to license the search index data it collects from people’s queries to its rivals, giving them a better chance at competing with the tech giant.

Google may also have to provide more transparency into how it sets the prices that advertisers pay to be listed near the top of some targeted search results.

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