Google could be forced to sell off Chrome as part of an embittered antitrust battle with the US government.
Chrome, which comes pre-installed on Android phones and Chromebook laptops, is the world’s most popular web browser, with a 65 per cent share of the global market, according to StatCounter.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) wants a court to compel Google to offload Chrome in order to break up its monopoly over internet search and the adjacent advertising market.
The browser serves as a key entry point to the web for many users, the DoJ argued in court papers filed on Wednesday. Google has slammed the measures as “radical” and “extreme”, arguing that they would harm consumers and businesses.
Here’s what you need to know about the DoJ vs Google, the biggest antitrust case in tech.
Why might Google be forced to sell Chrome?
The filing is the latest chapter in a protracted legal battle that dates back to 2020, when the Justice Department (joined by 38 states) filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing Google of operating like a monopoly.
Then, in August of this year, federal judge Amit Mehta concurred, finding that Google was illegally exploiting its dominance of the search market to crush competition.
Emboldened by that ruling, the DoJ has doubled down on its call to divest Google’s Chrome browser, which it believes will “permanently stop” Google’s dominion over search and the related targeted advertising market.
Chrome is a huge driver of Google’s digital ads business, which generated over $230 billion in ad revenue in 2023.
The proposals also call for Google to be banned from signing multi-billion-pound deals with smartphone makers such as Apple to make Google Search the default search engine on those companies' devices, including the iPhone, and to force Google to share data it collects from its search engine with its rivals in an effort to boost competition in the sector.
In its recommendations, the DoJ said: "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired.
"The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."
What happens next?
Google's president of global affairs and chief legal officer, Kent Walker, called the proposals "staggering" and "extreme", warning they would "break" many of Google's products and endanger the security and privacy of users as a result.
Court hearings on the proposed remedies are scheduled to begin in April, before which Google will counter with its own proposals, with a final decision on the issue expected by next summer - although the case could be further prolonged should Judge Mehta side with the DoJ's recommendations, with Google then almost certain to appeal.
It also remains unclear if attitudes inside the DoJ will change - and a less strident approach is sought - after President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
Mr Trump is widely expected to replace Jonathan Kanter, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to lead the department's antitrust division.
What alternative web browsers are there?
A Chrome sale could have wide-reaching ramifications for users of the popular web browser.
Considering that Chrome is estimated to be worth $15-20 billion, only someone with deep pockets will be able to acquire it - and the resulting deal would face close scrutiny from regulators.
New ownership could lead to changes in data collection and privacy policies. Users might also lose seamless integration with other Google services. Currently, you can sync your browsing data like bookmarks, passwords, and history across all of your devices by signing in with a Google account.
More crucially, Google Search may no longer be the default on Chrome, exposing users to more search engines. The pace of development may also slow down if Google relinquishes Chrome. Not only does the web giant regularly push out updates for its browser, but it has also built the Chrome Web Store, where users can install add-ons that increase Chrome’s functionality.
If the Google case has you thinking about alternatives, you’ll be happy to hear that there are plenty of web browsers to choose from.
Alongside the usual suspects from Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla, a crop of lesser-known companies have pushed out their own rivals to Chrome and its ilk. Some of them, however, are built on top of Google’s Chromium - an open-source web browser project that serves as the foundation for many browsers (and also powers the Chrome operating system on Chromebooks).
Below we’ve listed the ten web browsers to check out if you’re ditching Chrome:
Safari (Apple) - The kind of clean, fuss-free browser you’d expect from Apple. The default on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, with searches powered by Google.
Edge (Microsoft) - A Chromium browser that operates a lot like Chrome, with many of the same extensions, plus some extra web-browsing tools and a built-in AI chatbot in CoPilot.
Firefox (Mozilla) - An open-source browser with robust privacy features like tracking protection, private browsing, and regular security updates.
Brave - Another privacy-focused web browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. Brave also rewards users with cryptocurrency for viewing “privacy-preserving” ads.
Opera - A browser with a built-in VPN and ad blocker, Opera also supports a range of extensions.
DuckDuckGo - You may have caught this browser’s ads dunking on Google. It doesn’t track your search history, blocks third-party trackers and encrypts your data.
Arc - If you can’t keep up with all your open tabs, give Arc a try. The vertical layout isn’t for everyone, but its ability to organise windows and apps is unmatched.
Ecosia - Based on Chromium, Ecosia is a search engine and web browser that focuses on environmental sustainability by using its profits to plant trees worldwide.
Perplexity - An AI search engine at heart, Perplexity recently released a Mac app that feels more like a browser.
Aloha - A sleek, privacy-focused browser offering a built-in VPN, ad-blocking, and a secure browsing experience across devices.
