U.S. regulators push Google to divest Chrome browser

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) urges Google to divest its Chrome browser to create a more equal playing field for search competitors, said a filing on Wednesday.

A federal judge in August determined that Google holds a monopoly in the search market following a 2020 government lawsuit which claimed that Google controlled the general search market by creating strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that sustained its dominance.

"To remedy these harms, the initial proposed final judgment 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 filing said.

Additionally, the DOJ said that Google should be prevented from entering into exclusionary agreements with third parties like Apple and Samsung, adding that Google should be prohibited from giving its search service preference within its other products.

The DOJ also said that remedies should prevent Google from eliminating "emerging competitive threats through acquisitions, minority investments, or partnerships."

Google has said it will appeal the monopoly ruling.

Search advertising accounted for 49.4 billion dollars in revenue in its parent company Alphabet's third quarter of 2024.