Google Could Be Forced to Sell Popular Chrome Browser

Google may be forced to sell Chrome, a popular browser that has climbed all the usage charts in recent years. The move would be part of the Biden administration’s efforts to limit the power of large tech companies that are considered monopolies. According to Bloomberg, the US Department of Justice intends to ask a judge to force Google Alphabet to sell the browser after Google was found to have monopolized the world of internet search in August 2024.

Google monitors not only how people browse the Internet, but also the ads they see; the combination of using Google’s search engine and the Chrome browser results in the collection of important information about user behavior.

Google’s response, as reported by Reuters, explains that the Justice Department is taking a “radical approach that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case” and will result in harm to consumers. The majority of internet users worldwide use Chrome, which covers 61% of the US market and an even higher percentage on mobile devices. This gives an idea of the scale of the measure the US Department of Justice is about to take; for Google, the loss of the browser will mean a reduction in its ability to profile users and therefore a reduction in advertising revenue. The company has already announced that it will appeal the provision once the final decision is made, which, again according to Reuters, is expected to be issued by the end of summer 2025.