San Francisco, November 19: The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has asked Google to sell its Chrome browser to break the company's search monopoly. The news comes amid the Google monopoly lawsuit filed by the DoJ in 2023 over its search and search advertising control. Now, the antitrust officials would have decided to ask the judge to force the Alphabet-owned Google to sell off its most popular browser. 

This news is considered one of the world's biggest historical crackdowns, according to a report by Bloomberg. The Department of Justice will further ask the judge about the measures needed to address AI and its Android OS system. US Federal Judge Amit Mehta will likely be recommended to impose licensing data requirements on the tech giant. WhatsApp Privacy Policy Case: Competition Commission Slaps INR 213 Crore Penalty on Meta for Misusing WhatsApp Data.

The acceptance of the proposal by Judge Amit Mehta will significantly change the course of history and reshape the online search market and AI industry. Google Chrome has been one of the most popular web browsers and a key tool for the tech giant's ad business. The company is able to see the activities done by the users using their sign-ins on the account, which helps it make targeted ads and boost its revenue. 

Besides, the company has used Google's Chrome browser to integrate its other products, such as Gemini, which may transform the search experience using artificial intelligence. Addressing this ongoing lawsuit against the company, Google's VP of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Ann Mulholland, said that the DoJ had been pushing a "radical agenda beyond the case's legal issues case. OpenAI Operator AI Agent Likely To Launch in January 2025; Know What To Expect.

She added that the government had been trying to put its thumb on the scale, harming consumers, developers, and even the technological leadership of the United States in the world at the time of the greatest need. Amid these ongoing lawsuits, Google shares fell 1.8% to USD 172.16 in the last trading, which was 25% higher in 2024. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2024 08:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).