The Department of Justice will recommend to a federal judge that Google sell its Chrome browser business as part of its ongoing search monopoly case, Bloomberg reports.
This comes three months after a judge ruled that Google, owned by Alphabet, violated antitrust law by illegally maintaining a monopoly in search. By ensuring its own search engine is the default choice on devices, Google is denying rival search engines the opportunity to compete, and therefore denying people the ability to experience alternatives, the DOJ argued.
Since that time, the tech industry has speculated how Google will address the ruling and whether it would involve breaking up the company. The sale of Chrome or Google’s Android business have been part of that speculation.
Watch this: Judge Says Google Is an Illegal Monopoly: Now What?
The recommendation from the DOJ to federal Judge Amit Mehta, according to the report, would be one step that Google will take. The DOJ is also reportedly seeking changes related to the company’s AI and Android businesses. The request would include new data-licensing requirements for Google.
The request is expected to be submitted on Wednesday.
“The DOJ continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of regulatory affairs, said in a statement. “The government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.”
Google is just one of several big tech companies in the US dealing with antitrust complaints. Apple and Amazon have each been sued for monopolistic or anticompetitive behavior. With the appointment of a new Federal Communications Commission chair who has vowed to go after tech companies, there may be more action against Big Tech, particularly social media services, in 2025.
