U.S. Government Officially Asks Google to Sell Chrome, But the Company May Have Some Tricks up Its Sleeve

Amid the historic antitrust case against Google, the Department of Justice has officially demanded the tech company sell Chrome. After months of speculation, the DOJ outlined this and other requests in a court filing on Wednesday.

What initially seemed like a veiled threat has now become a direct demand. Following findings that it operates as a monopoly, Justice Department lawyers have formally requested Google to sell its Chrome browser.

What’s the DOJ requesting? “To remedy these harms, the [Proposed Final Judgement] requires Google to divest Chrome, which will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the Internet,” the Justice Department’s lawyers said in the recent court filing.

Additionally, the DOJ is requesting that Google refrain from “stifling or eliminating emerging competitive threats through acquisitions, minority investments, or partnerships” for a period of ten years. This specifically points to agreements like the one between Google and Apple, which designates Google as the default search engine on iPhones.

Separating Chrome from Google is difficult but not impossible. Selling Chrome is a radical idea. The browser isn’t only the most widely used in the world, but it’s also deeply integrated with other Google services. These include ChromeOS, the laptop operating system, and Gemini, Google’s AI assistant. Selling Chrome would mean losing a vital access point to the company’s services, particularly the search engine, which is Google’s core business.

However, Google has been taking steps to reduce its reliance on Chrome in recent years. For instance, the company aims to transition ChromeOS directly to Android.

Regarding Chrome and access to Google’s search engine, the company is working to shift users away from searching directly from the browser’s address bar and instead toward using Gemini. However, this move toward AI in the search field hasn’t yet proven successful.

Google’s response. In a recent statement, Google chief legal officer Kent Walker criticized the Department of Justice for pursuing a “radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership.”

Walker argues that forcing the sale of Chrome could also lead to the requirement to sell Android. He claims this could stifle innovation in AI, where Google plays a significant role, and would also negatively impact companies like Mozilla, which relies on Google as its default search engine and receives millions of dollars as a result.

Europe addressed the same issue in 2020. The core problem is that Google leverages Chrome’s dominance to make its search engine the default option. This practice has resulted in an antitrust case in the U.S. Meanwhile in Europe, it led to a fine of $5 billion and the implementation of some changes.

One change was the so-called “Choice Screen,” which appears for all European users when they configure a new device. This option randomly displays several alternative search engines, including DuckDuckGo, Info.com, and Qwant.

The DOJ is now considering a similar requirement for Google, proposing that the company implements easier methods for users to change their default search engine. While the European Union has adopted a regulatory approach, the U.S. is pursuing this change through the district court. In the end, many still find the European solution unconvincing.

A million-dollar question: Who could buy Chrome? Most experts believe that it’s unlikely Google would sell Chrome, similar to how Microsoft didn’t have to sell Internet Explorer after facing a similar antitrust case more than 25 years ago.

However, considering the hypothetical situation where a forced sale does occur, who would be able to buy Chrome, valued at around $15-20 billion? Few companies can afford to invest this amount of money.

One clear potential buyer could be OpenAI, given that it would allow the AI startup to expand into the services and software sector. Apple already has Safari, while Samsung would struggle to justify a significant investment in an area so different from its core business. Additionally, Microsoft would face considerable regulatory challenges.

While Meta could be a contender, it would need to be cautious about forcing the use of its social media platforms. However, without that, it’s hard to imagine its interest in buying Chrome. Amazon might consider it, but the Chrome brand is closely associated with rival Google. A more likely buyer might be a cloud services company, like Oracle, which previously showed interest when U.S. officials tried to force TikTok’s Chinese owners to divest by selling the company.

It’s important to remember that this is all speculation. What’s clear is that the Department of Justice isn’t going to allow Chrome to continue operating as it currently does.

Image | Growtika

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