U.S. District Court rulings or official DOJ statements

U.S. DOJ Proposes Sale of Google Chrome to Break Search Monopoly

Nov 27, 2024, 10:48 AM

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed a significant antitrust action against Google, aiming to dismantle the company's alleged monopolistic practices. The plan includes forcing Google to sell its Chrome web browser, a move intended to address Google's dominance in the search engine market. This proposal comes after a court found Google guilty of maintaining an abusive monopoly over the past decade. U.S. regulators, along with a coalition of attorneys general, including Maryland Attorney General, are pushing for solutions that include ending Google's harmful contracts and requiring the company to share data more fairly. This action is part of a broader effort to address Google's industry-leading status in search. Critics argue that this could dampen innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence applications, as Google's attorney expressed concerns before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta. The potential sale of Chrome or Google's Android mobile operating system is seen by some as diminishing competition at a critical time.