The U.S. Department of Justice will ask a federal judge to order Google to sell its Chrome web browser, Bloomberg reports. The request comes after Judge Amit Mehta’s August ruling that Google illegally monopolized the search market.
DOJ antitrust officials and participating states plan to present their recommendations on Wednesday. The proposals include Chrome browser divestiture, AI-related requirements, Android operating system restrictions, and data licensing requirements. Officials considered requiring Google to sell Android but opted for less extensive measures.
Chrome currently holds 61% of the U.S. browser market and serves as a key component of Google’s business model. The browser tracks signed-in user activity, enables targeted advertising, and links users to Google’s Gemini AI product. Publishers have raised concerns about Google’s “AI Overviews,” reporting that these features reduce their website traffic and advertising revenue by limiting access to original content.
The antitrust case, which began during the Trump administration and continued under Biden, represents the largest tech company enforcement action since the Microsoft case two decades ago. Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, responded that the Justice Department “continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case.” She added that government intervention “would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.”
If approved, Judge Mehta’s decision on these proposals would alter the structure of both the online search market and AI industry. The case highlights ongoing efforts to address competition concerns in the technology sector.
