The Department of Justice (DOJ) is pushing to make Google sell its Chrome browser as part of an antitrust case targeting the company’s dominance in online search. This move follows a court ruling in August 2024 that declared that the Mountain View giant had unlawfully maintained its monopoly. The DOJ argues that Chrome plays a major role in bolstering Google Search user numbers by setting it as the default search engine, effectively blocking competition. Breaking off Chrome could be a massive shakeup for both the tech world and how we experience the internet.
This isn’t Google’s first run-in with monopoly accusations. For years, critics have pointed out how Google bundles its services, like Android and Play Store, to ensure its products remain dominant. The DOJ’s current strategy of demanding divestitures—like splitting Chrome or Android—shows a stronger stance compared to past cases, where only fines or behavioral changes were enforced. Google, of course, argues that such a breakup would harm consumers by disrupting integration between services and threatening security features.
Interestingly, this case isn’t just about Chrome. The DOJ has also hinted at going after other parts of Google’s empire, such as Android, suggesting that the company’s broad influence across different tech ecosystems may need trimming. For Google, the stakes couldn’t be higher; losing Chrome or other core assets could weaken its ability to fuel ad revenue and innovate, which is essentially the lifeblood of the company.
What makes this situation even wilder is the possibility of ripple effects across the industry. If Google is forced to sell Chrome, could similar moves hit other tech giants like Apple or Amazon?
The DOJ is turning up the pressure on Big Tech, shaking things up to deal with how massive companies like Google and TikTok are shaping the digital world. In 2002, they reworked their antitrust division to get serious about tackling tech and telecom monopolies. This included beefing up a team to focus on technology enforcement and making a previously temporary telecom group a permanent part of the game plan.
TikTok’s also feeling the heat. The DOJ has hit them with a lawsuit, accusing the platform of breaking kids' privacy laws. Apparently, TikTok was collecting data from kids under 13 without getting proper consent—even when they were using "Kids Mode." The feds claim TikTok kept personal info like email addresses and didn’t delete it when parents asked. TikTok, like Google, isn’t taking it lying down, though. They’re saying these claims are old news and that they’ve already improved their privacy protections.
Source: Bloomberg
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