US Justice Department forces Google to sell Chrome web browser

Antitrust officials at the U.S. Department of Justice have decided to ask a judge to force Google to sell its Chrome browser in order to break its monopoly.

Google could potentially face a range of legal issues from the US Department of Justice - Photo: REUTERS

Bloomberg reported on November 18, citing sources familiar with the plan, that the Justice Department will ask Judge Amit Mehta – who ruled in August that Google illegally monopolized the search market – to review Google's artificial intelligence (AI) and Android operating system.

Owning the world's most popular web browser is key to Google's advertising business. The company can control how users access the internet and the ads they see through its Chrome browser.

In addition, Chrome is a data collection tool, which it then uses to tailor promotional and advertising programs more effectively.

This contributes significantly to Google's revenue, as Chrome is the world's most widely used browser, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the global browser market share.

The Ministry of Justice has not yet commented on the above information.

Conversely, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of legal affairs, stated that the Department of Justice is pursuing "a radical agenda that goes far beyond legal issues."

At the same time, Mulholland also stated that "such government intervention would harm users, developers, and executives of American technology companies."

Will Trump break up Google?

This move is seen as the Biden administration's strongest effort to curb the monopolies of large tech corporations since Washington's failed attempt to break up Microsoft two decades ago, according to Bloomberg.

However, the situation could become even more tense after Donald Trump takes office in January 2025, according to Reuters.

Two months before the election, Trump announced he would prosecute Google for what the Republican president-elect called bias against him.

A month later, Trump again questioned whether breaking up the corporation was a good idea.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-tu-phap-my-buoc-google-ban-trinh-duyet-web-chrome-20241119110644873.htm