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What a forced sale of Google's Chrome could mean for both sides

Nov 21, 2024 - businessinsider.com
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked a judge to force Google to sell its popular browser, Chrome, as part of its antitrust case against the tech giant. The DOJ's recommendation comes after a judge ruled in August that Google violated antitrust laws and acted as a monopoly with its search engine. Google, which holds a majority of the US browser market share (61%) through Chrome, will have a chance to respond next month with its own plan before the judge makes a ruling next year.

The potential sale of Chrome could be a significant blow to Google as it sends a lot of search data and traffic to the company. However, an adtech executive described the potential loss of Chrome as "a manageable inconvenience" for Google. The case's outcome could also impact other tech companies and advertisers who feel negatively impacted by Google's monopoly. The change in administration and the confirmation of the DOJ's head could further complicate the case.

Key takeaways:

  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked the judge in its antitrust case against Google to force the tech giant to sell Chrome, its massively popular browser.
  • Chrome holds a majority of the US browser market share (61%) and its default search engine is Google, making it a powerful distribution arm for Google.
  • The DOJ's recommendation is a blow to Google, but losing out on three billion monthly Chrome users won't be painless, but it has other ways to collect data and traffic (Gmail, YouTube, etc.)
  • The original antitrust complaint was filed under then-President Donald Trump, and the future of the case could be influenced by the change in administration.
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