Google has argued that selling Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser, would negatively impact both consumers and businesses. According to a Bloomberg report, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to propose such a measure to a judge this week.
In August, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google holds a monopoly in online search and has been weighing what actions or penalties to impose. While the DOJ has not officially commented, Google has firmly opposed the proposal.
Lee-Anne Mulholland, a Google executive, criticized the DOJ’s stance, claiming that it goes beyond the legal issues at hand. She further emphasized that the government’s proposed measures could harm consumers, developers, and America’s leadership in technology during a crucial time.
Chrome continues to dominate the global browser market, with Similarweb reporting a 64.61% market share in October. Google search also commands an almost 90% share of the global search engine market, according to Statcounter. The default search engine in Chrome and many smartphone browsers, including Safari on iPhones, only strengthens Google’s position.
Judge Mehta highlighted in his August ruling that the default search engine slot in browsers is highly valuable for Google. He noted that any new competitor would have to pay billions of dollars in revenue share to secure such prime real estate.
In its October filings, the DOJ suggested that breaking up Google could be part of the solution, including potentially separating products like Chrome, Android, and the Play Store from Google Search to eliminate conflicts of interest. These proposals are now under consideration by the court.
Google, however, has strongly rejected the idea of breaking up its services, arguing that such moves could disrupt business models, increase device costs, and harm the competition with Apple. The company also pointed out that such a split could hinder efforts to maintain Chrome’s security.
Recently, Google’s revenues from its search and advertising businesses saw a 10% increase, reaching $65.9 billion. Meanwhile, the company’s AI-powered search tools have gained traction, now being used by millions of people.
With the DOJ’s proposals under review, all eyes are on Google’s share price as investors await the outcome.
