DOJ urges the sale of Google’s Chrome browser

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday asked a federal judge to make Google divest from its Chrome internet browser. It also asked that same judge to order Google to either sell or change how it managed its Android smartphone system.

The DOJ first sued Google in 2020, and, separately, again in 2023. A federal court in August found that Google had monopolies on search services and text ads that appear with the searches.

Why is the DOJ asking for this? The Department of Justice has alleged that Google has engaged in anticompetitive practices. The practices stifled innovation by preventing smaller search engines from entering the internet browser marketplace, the DOJ argued.

What does Google have to say about this? The tech giant said on Thursday that the DOJ’s proposals would endanger Americans’ personal safety online and eliminate the U.S. technological dominance internationally. It promised to fight the DOJ’s proposal.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about the DOJ initially floating the idea of breaking up Google’s digital empire.