If applied, the sanction would be historic against Google, highlighted for its anti-competitive practices. The US Government asked the courts on Wednesday, November 20, to order the technology giant to get rid of its Chrome Internet browser, the most used in the world.
Google was found guilty in the summer of 2024 by Amit Mehta, a federal judge in Washington, of illegal practices to establish and maintain its monopoly in online search. The magistrate could decide on the sentence in August 2025, after receiving the official request from the authorities in November and hearing from both sides during a special hearing in April.
The prospect of demanding a breakup of Google marks a profound shift by U.S. competition authorities, who have largely left the tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Android transfer is also requested
In a court document, the Ministry of Justice requests a division of the activities of the Alphabet group subsidiary, also prohibiting Google from signing agreements with manufacturers to impose the default use of its search engine on smartphones.
The ministry wants Google to get rid of Chrome because it is a major access point to the search engine, undermining the chances of potential competitors. According to the StatCounter website, in September the company represented 90% of the global online search market and even 94% on smartphones.
The authorities also want to prevent Google from taking advantage of its Android mobile operating system to promote its other products. They even demand that the technology giant resign for not proposing new developments in this regard.
