Google was found guilty last summer of illegal practices to establish and maintain its monopoly in online search, undermining the chances of potential competitors.
U.S. government to ask judge to force Google to give up its browser Chromeaccording to Bloomberg. Such a sanction against the technology giant, convicted of anti-competitive practices in the management of its famous search engine, would be historic. The Justice Department also intends to demand measures concerning the company’s new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and its Android mobile operating system, according to unnamed sources close to the case quoted by the news agency on Monday November 18.
Google was found guilty last summer of illegal practices to establish and maintain its monopoly in online search by Amit Mehta, a federal judge in Washington. The judge could rule on the sentence in August 2025, after receiving the official request from the authorities in November and hearing both sides at a special hearing in April. The possibility of demanding a Google spin-off marks a profound change on the part of US competition authorities, who have largely left the tech giants alone since their failure to dismantle Microsoft twenty years ago.
The department wants Google to spin off Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser, because it is a major access point to the search engine, undermining the chances of potential competitors. According to the StatCounter website, Google held 90% of the global online search market in September, and even 94% on smartphones. The antitrust authorities are also expected to propose that Google unbundle Android from its other products, notably the search engine and the Google Play mobile application store, according to Bloomberg.
Google plans to appeal
The government also wants to take action on search results formulated by generative AI, “AI Overviews”, which answer users’ questions directly, without having to click on links. Many websites are complaining of a drop in traffic, and Google’s online search rivals feel that this new format leaves them no chance of emerging.
The ten-week trial revealed the huge sums paid by the Alphabet subsidiary to ensure that Google Search was installed by default, notably on smartphones manufactured by Apple and Samsung. The proceedings were launched under Donald Trump’s administration and continued under Joe Biden’s presidency.
If the judge upholds the authorities’ proposals, they could reshape the online search market and the booming generative AI industry. But the changes, if they take place, will undoubtedly take years, with Google planning to appeal. Contacted by AFP on Monday, the Justice Department had no comment.