The US government will ask a judge to force Google to divest its Chrome browser, Bloomberg reported. Such a sanction against the tech giant, which was found guilty of anticompetitive practices in the management of its popular search engine, would be historic.
The Justice Department also plans to require action on new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and its Android mobile operating system, according to people familiar with the matter who were unnamed and cited by the news agency on Monday.
Google was found guilty last summer of illegal practices to establish and maintain its monopoly in online search by Amit Mehta, a federal judge in Washington.
The latter could rule on the sentence in August 2025, after receiving the authorities' formal request in November and hearing both sides at a special hearing in April.
The possibility of demanding a Google split marks a profound shift from US competition authorities, which have largely left tech giants alone since their failure to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
The ministry wants Google to divest itself of Chrome, the world's most widely used web browser, because it is a major gateway to the search engine, undermining the chances of potential competitors.
According to the StatCounter website, Google accounted for 90% of the global online search market in September, and even 94% on smartphones.
Antitrust authorities are also expected to propose that Google separate Android from its other products, including its search engine and the Google Play mobile app store, according to Bloomberg.
The government also wants to act on search results formulated by generative AI, the "AI Overviews" that directly answer users' questions, without having to click on links.
Many websites complain of a drop in traffic and Google's rivals in online search believe that this new format gives them no chance of emerging.
The ten weeks of trial had revealed the astronomical sums paid by the Alphabet subsidiary to ensure the default installation of Google Search, notably on smartphones manufactured by Apple and Samsung.
The lawsuits were launched under the Donald Trump administration and continued under the presidency of Joe Biden.
If the judge upholds the authorities' proposals, they could reshape the online search market and the booming generative AI industry.
But the changes, if they happen, will likely take years, as Google plans to appeal.
The Justice Department declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Monday.
