The DOJ Wants Judge To Force Google To Sell Chrome Amid Search Monopoly Claim

According to a few insiders, the Department of Justice (DoJ) may be getting ready to ask a judge to make Google sell off its beloved Chrome internet browser. The latest rumors also add that the DoJ may consider requiring measures related to AI and the company’s Android smartphone operating system. If true, and it were to become a reality, it would be quite a blow to the tech giant’s bottom line.

The initial ruling against Google was rendered back in August of this year. In that ruling, US District Judge Amit Mehta remarked, “Google was a monopolist,” and found the company had “violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.” Rumors of a possible breakup began swirling shortly after, with it becoming more of a reality after the DoJ filed court papers saying it was considering enforcing “structural remedies” that would help prevent Google from using some of its products, such as Chrome, as an advantage over its rivals.

Google has remarked it will challenge any case brought against it by the DoJ, and stated the proposals indicated an “overreach” by the government that ultimately hurt consumers.

Industry experts say that if the proposals are accepted by Judge Mehta, it could seriously reshape the global online search market, which Google is said to control around 90% of, as well as stifle Google’s role in the development of artificial intelligence.

Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, remarked recently that the DoJ is simply continuing to push a “radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in the case.” She continued, “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.”

What are your thoughts on whether Google should have to sell off Chrome, and if the government should have its hands on regulating how Google develops its AI? Should the government do the same with other companies, such as Apple and Microsoft? Let us know in the comments.