The U.S. Department of Justice could force Google to sell Android or Chrome

Earlier this month, a US federal judge ruled that Google's search engine and advertising business violates Section 2 of the Sherman Act, making the company a monopoly. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering breaking up Google as punishment.

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This could include selling off assets such as the Android operating system and Chrome browser. Other measures could include limiting Google's exclusive deals with Apple and Samsung, which make Google's search engine the primary search engine on their devices. The DOJ could also require Google to share information with competitors or impose restrictions on the use of AI products.

In September, the DOJ and Google will meet again in court on charges of monopolising digital advertising, where text ad sales platform AdWords could be a central issue. The last time the US government demanded a separation was in 2020, when Microsoft was found to have violated antitrust laws, but was left intact after an appeal and settlement. Google plans to appeal the court's decision.

Source: Bloomberg