DOJ Seeks to Force Google to Sell Chrome Browser

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will request a judge to compel Alphabet's Google to divest its Chrome browser, as reported by Bloomberg News on Monday, citing sources familiar with the plans.

The DOJ plans to ask the judge, who ruled in August that Google illegally monopolized the search market, to implement measures concerning artificial intelligence and its Android smartphone operating system.

Both Google and the DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

This action represents one of the most assertive strategies from the Biden administration to address what it claims are monopolistic practices by Big Tech.

Google contends that its search engine has garnered users due to its superior quality and asserts that it faces substantial competition from Amazon and other platforms, allowing users to select alternative search engines as their default.

The government may later decide if a sale of Chrome is necessary, depending on whether other remedies foster a more competitive market, according to the Bloomberg report.