DOJ Urges Forced Sale of Google’s Chrome Browser as Antitrust Trial Enters Crucial Phase
Apr/23/2025
The Justice Department intensified its antitrust battle against Alphabet’s Google, calling for the company to divest its market-dominating Chrome browser to break its grip on internet search. This push, argued before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, follows a prior ruling that Google unlawfully maintained monopoly power over online search, primarily through exclusive deals making Google Search the default on devices from companies like Apple and Samsung. Google counters that the DOJ’s remedies, including selling Chrome and opening up its search data to competitors such as OpenAI—maker of ChatGPT—represent regulatory overreach that would hinder innovation. The trial highlights intense rivalries within tech, evidenced by testimony from leaders at DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Apple, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The DOJ’s actions are part of broader scrutiny confronting Big Tech, paralleling cases against Meta, Amazon, and Apple. OpenAI, notably, expressed interest in acquiring Chrome if a sale were mandated, envisioning a user-centric, AI-integrated browsing experience. The trial’s outcome could redefine competition in digital markets for years, significantly impacting both consumers and the tech industry. Following chart illustrates the distribution of the company’s segment revenues from 2020 to 2024. This breakdown underscores the centrality of search and browser integration to Google’s revenue strategy and highlights the profound implications a forced divestiture could have on the tech giant’s economic structure.
