The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is pushing for major antitrust remedies in its ongoing legal battle with Google, demanding the tech giant sell its Chrome browser and halt default search engine agreements on devices.
The federal trial, currently underway and overseen by Judge Amit Mehta, follows a previous ruling that declared Google’s online search dominance illegal. DOJ attorney David Dahlquist emphasized the court’s authority to dismantle what he called Google’s “generation-defining” internet monopoly.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ also wants Google to provide rival search engines access to valuable user data — a move intended to level the competitive playing field.
The case highlights how Google maintains its dominance, reportedly controlling around 90% of the global search market. A major factor: over $20 billion in annual payments to Apple to keep Google as the default search engine on Safari.
Google responded, criticizing the DOJ’s proposals as a “wishlist for competitors” and arguing that breaking up its products would stifle innovation. While open to reevaluating some agreements, the company firmly opposes the idea of divesting from Chrome or implementing radical changes.
