U.S. regulators are urging a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the tech giant from stifling competition through its dominant search engine, following a court ruling that found the company maintained an abusive monopoly for over a decade.
In a 23-page filing submitted late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice proposed sweeping remedies, including the forced sale of Google’s Chrome web browser and restrictions on its Android operating system to prevent favoring its own search engine.
The Justice Department argued that selling Chrome would “permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point” and create opportunities for rival search engines to compete fairly, as Chrome serves as a primary gateway to the internet for many users.
While regulators did not demand the sale of Android, they warned that the company could still be required to divest its smartphone operating system if further misconduct is identified by its oversight committee.
The recommendations come after an August ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, which declared Google a monopolist. The broad penalties reflect the Biden administration’s strong stance against what it sees as anticompetitive practices by the tech giant.