Late Wednesday, the US government asked a judge to order the breakup of Google by requiring the sale of its popular Chrome browser, marking a significant escalation in its antitrust crackdown against the tech giant.
In a court filing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) called for a major overhaul of Google’s operations, including ending its exclusive deals to be the default search engine on smartphones and curbing its control over the Android operating system.
The DOJ also proposed that Google should be forced to sell Android if the proposed changes fail to prevent the company from leveraging its dominance in the mobile sector.
Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, responded to the filing by accusing the DOJ of pushing a “radical interventionist agenda.”
This call for Google’s breakup marks a dramatic shift in the US government’s regulatory approach, reversing a long-standing trend of leniency toward tech giants since regulators failed to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Google is expected to submit its recommendations in a filing next month, with both sides set to argue their cases at a hearing in April before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
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Regardless of the outcome, Google is expected to appeal any ruling, potentially extending the legal battle for years and leaving the final decision to the US Supreme Court.
The case could also be affected by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
His administration will likely replace the current DOJ leadership, which could either continue with the case, seek a settlement with Google, or drop it altogether.
Trump has been inconsistent in his stance on Google, having accused the company of conservative bias, but also suggesting that a forced breakup of the company might be an excessive demand.
The case marks the next stage in a landmark antitrust trial in which Judge Mehta ruled in August that Google operates as a monopoly.
Walker argued that the DOJ’s proposal would disrupt a wide range of Google products and hinder its investment in artificial intelligence, calling it an unprecedented overreach that could harm consumers, developers, and small businesses and undermine the US’s global tech leadership.
Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the industry trade group Chamber of Progress, criticized the government’s demands as “fantastical” and legally unfounded, advocating instead for more narrowly targeted solutions.
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The trial, which concluded last year, focused on Google’s secretive agreements with smartphone manufacturers like Apple, which involve significant payments to make Google the default search engine on browsers, iPhones, and other devices.
The judge determined these agreements provided Google with unmatched access to user data, allowing it to turn its search engine into a dominant global platform.
From there, Google expanded its reach, adding products like the Chrome browser, Maps, and the Android operating system.
Under the Biden administration, the DOJ has pursued antitrust actions against big tech, with five cases still pending, including lawsuits against Google, Amazon, Meta, and Apple.
If pursued by the Trump administration, these cases could take years to resolve.
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