Calls for Google to Sell Chrome to Break Search Monopoly

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has called on Google to sell Chrome, the world’s leading web browser, as part of a broader effort to curb the company’s dominance in online search.

This proposal, outlined in a court filing late Wednesday, is among several remedies aimed at dismantling Google’s search monopoly. The DOJ also urged District Judge Amit Mehta to prohibit Google from entering contracts with companies like Apple and Samsung that make its search engine the default on various devices and browsers.

The recommendations follow an August ruling in which Judge Mehta determined that Google had unlawfully stifled competition in online search. Joined by several U.S. states, the DOJ argued that the proposed measures would open up a market monopolized by Google for years.

“Restoring competition to the markets for general search and search text advertising requires reactivating the competitive process that Google has long suppressed,” DOJ attorneys stated.

Google, however, criticized the proposals, calling them extreme. “The DOJ chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership,” said Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs. He added that the plan “goes miles beyond the Court’s decision” and could disrupt popular Google products beyond search.

The tech giant is expected to submit its own remedies by December 20, with Judge Mehta likely to deliver a decision by summer 2025.

Google currently controls about 90% of global online searches, according to Statcounter. Government lawyers argue that Google’s ownership of Chrome and the Android operating system has allowed it to channel users toward its search engine, further solidifying its monopoly.

Among the DOJ’s proposals are restrictions on Google re-entering the browser market for five years and court oversight of Android to prevent it from favoring Google’s search and ad services.

The DOJ’s lawsuit against Google began in the final months of Donald Trump’s first presidency. As Trump prepares to return to office in January, experts are debating whether his administration will approach the case differently. Vanderbilt Law School professor Rebecca Allensworth said it’s unlikely the administration would abandon a case it initiated, adding that state plaintiffs could continue independently even if the federal government pulls back.

Legal scholars suggest the proposed remedies could significantly boost competition in the search market. Laura Phillips-Sawyer, a professor at the University of Georgia, noted that Google’s contracts have deterred potential competitors by blocking access to distribution channels.

“If these proposals are accepted, it could give new entrants a real chance to compete,” Phillips-Sawyer said.