It is known that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) will ask the court to force Alphabet - Google's parent company, to sell the Chrome browser in order to reduce monopoly in the search market.
Accordingly, Google is taking control of how users access the internet and the type of ads they access through the Chrome browser. Chrome not only regularly uses the default Google search engine but also collects important data for the advertising industry, contributing greatly to Google's revenue. Currently, Chrome accounts for about 2/3 of the global browser market share.
The DOJ also asked the court to impose controls on Google's artificial intelligence (AI) and Android operating systems. The court previously ruled in August 2024 that Google violated antitrust laws by dominating the search market.
Responding to the move, Mr. Lee-Anne Mulholland - Vice President of Legal Affairs at Google, criticized the DOJ's request as "extreme". He said this would harm consumers.
Google claims its search engine has earned users’ trust thanks to its superior quality, but the company also notes that it faces strong competition from Amazon and other platforms.
Judge Amit Mehta is scheduled to issue a final ruling in August 2025. The remedies hearing was previously scheduled for April of that year.
The DOJ has proposed a range of remedies, from ending exclusive deals where Google pays billions of dollars annually to Apple and other companies to remain the default search engine, to requiring Google to sell businesses like Chrome or the Android operating system.
If the court orders Chrome to be sold, it would certainly be a major blow to Google's revenue, since Chrome plays a huge role in collecting data to deliver more targeted search ads.
However, the US government could still consider not requiring the sale of Chrome if other measures are sufficient to create a more competitive market.
For now, users can still change their default search engine on Chrome or choose other browsers and search engines. But the court's decision in this case could reshape how users access and experience the internet in the future.
