Google strongly opposes reports that the U.S. government may force it to sell Chrome. This move is reportedly part of efforts to address monopoly concerns in the online search market.
A Bloomberg report revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to present the proposal to a judge on Wednesday. This is part of ongoing antitrust measures against Google’s dominance in the tech industry.
In August, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google holds a monopoly in online search. The court is now considering possible penalties or remedies. Google has expressed clear resistance to the reported measures.
Lee-Anne Mulholland, a Google executive, criticized the DOJ’s agenda. “Forcing the sale of Chrome would harm consumers, developers, and American technological leadership,” she said. The DOJ may also impose regulations on Google’s AI, Android system, and data practices.
Chrome’s Dominance and Google’s Market Influence
Chrome dominates the global browser market, holding a 64.61% share as of October, according to Similarweb. Google’s search engine is even more powerful, controlling nearly 90% of the global search market, reports Statcounter.
Google benefits from agreements to make its search engine the default in Chrome and other browsers like Safari. Judge Mehta referred to this as “extremely valuable real estate.” Competing search engines face significant barriers, as they must pay billions in revenue shares to secure similar positions.
DOJ Remedies and Google’s Rebuttal
The DOJ is expected to propose final remedies soon. An October filing suggested potential business breakups to address Google’s dominance. This could involve preventing Google from leveraging Chrome, Android, or Play Store to boost its search engine.
Google denies operating as a monopoly and opposes these remedies. It argues that splitting off services like Chrome or Android would harm consumers and the industry. “Separating these businesses would increase device costs, disrupt business models, and weaken competition with Apple’s ecosystem,” Google stated. The company also warned of increased security risks for Chrome if removed from Google’s ecosystem.
Financial Growth and Investor Concerns
Despite regulatory challenges, Google’s financial results remain strong. Revenue from search and advertising rose 10% year-over-year, reaching $65.9 billion. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the success of Google’s AI-powered tools, now widely adopted.
However, investor concerns grow as the DOJ’s antitrust case progresses. Potential regulatory actions and remedies could significantly impact Google’s stock performance and long-term business strategy.