US government wants Google to divest its Chrome browser, Bloomberg reports

Photo: Ng Han Guan Associated Press Chrome is the most widely used Internet browser in the world.

Agence France-Presse San Francisco

Published at 7:45 p.m.

• United States

The U.S. government will ask a judge to force Google to divest its Chrome browser, Bloomberg reports. Such a sanction against the tech giant, found guilty of anticompetitive practices in the management of its famous search engine, would be historic.

The Justice Department also plans to require measures regarding new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and its Android mobile operating system, according to unnamed sources familiar with the matter cited by the news agency on Monday.

Google was found guilty last summer of illegal practices to establish and maintain its monopoly in online search by Amit Mehta, a federal judge in Washington.

He could rule on sentencing in August 2025, after receiving the authorities’ formal request in November and hearing from both sides at a special hearing in April.

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The possibility of requiring a breakup of Google marks a sea change from U.S. competition authorities, which have largely left tech giants alone since their failure to break up Microsoft 20 years ago. years.

The ministry wants Google to divest Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser, because it is a major gateway to the search engine, undermining the chances of potential competitors.

According to the website StatCounter, Google had 90% of the global market share in online search as of September, and 94% in mobile phones.

Antitrust authorities are also expected to propose that Google separate Android from its other products, including its search engine and the Google Play mobile app store, according to Bloomberg.

The government also wants to take action on search results generated by generative AI, known as “AI Overviews,” which directly answer users’ questions without having to click on links.

Many websites are complaining about a drop in traffic, and Google’s rivals in online search believe that this new format leaves them with no chance of emerging.

The ten-week trial revealed the staggering sums paid by the Alphabet subsidiary to ensure that Google Search was installed by default, particularly on cell phones manufactured by Apple and Samsung.

The lawsuits were launched under the Donald Trump administration and continued under the presidency of Joe Biden.

If the judge accepts the authorities’ proposals, they could reshape the online search market and the booming generative AI industry.

But the changes, if they happen, will likely take years, with Google planning to appeal.

Contacted by AFP on Monday, the Justice Department declined to comment.

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