The US Department of Justice is reportedly preparing to demand that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, sell its Chrome browser as part of a sweeping antitrust crackdown. According to a Bloomberg report, officials will seek this major restructuring during court proceedings on Wednesday, aiming to break up what they argue is an illegal monopoly.
This follows an August ruling by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, which declared Google a monopoly in the online search market. The government claims Google’s dominance stems from secretive agreements with smartphone makers, such as Apple, to make its search engine the default across devices.
The proposed remedies go beyond Chrome, potentially requiring Google to unbundle its Android operating system from other products and restrict its AI systems from using website data.
While Google has dismissed these measures as radical, experts note the move signals a bold shift in US regulatory policy, not seen since the failed attempt to break up Microsoft in the 2000s.
Any decision will likely be appealed by Google, potentially prolonging the legal battle for years, with the case possibly reaching the Supreme Court.
