Google could be forced to sell Chrome

The search giant currently faces investigation in the US for alleged antitrust violations

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is considering a plan that could force Google to spin off or sell some parts of its business, including its popular Chrome browser.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Politico claims that the DoJ is preparing to bring an antitrust suit against the search giant, for allegedly abusing its dominance in the online search market. According to Politico, the lawsuit could be filed as soon as next week.

Last year, a group of shareholders at Alphabet - Google's parent company - had urged the firm to split itself into separate companies before regulators could force it to do so. However, the company rejected the proposal.

Google is facing multiple investigations in the US for alleged antitrust violations. The firm is also accused of using its search engine to advertise its own mapping, shopping and other services, rather than displaying competitors' services.

Politico states that the federal and state prosecutors are seeking suggestions from tech experts, media publishers and industry rivals on measures that can be taken to control Google's dominance over the $162 billion global digital advertising market.

One such step, reportedly discussed on 9^th October, involves forcing Google to divest Chrome and parts of its advertising business.

The DoJ and state attorney generals are seeking opinion from competitors and other third parties on which businesses Google should be asked to sell, and whether existing rivals should be banned from bidding on them.

Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers in the world, used on nearly 60 per cent of desktop computers and 37 per cent of mobiles devices in the US, according to StatCounter.

Rivals have long accused Google of using Chrome's access to users' web histories to aid its advertising business. In January, Google said that it would stop using third-party cookies in Chrome within the next two years.

The expected lawsuit from the DoJ comes just after the US House Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee released the findings of its 16-month-long investigation into the challenges posed by the dominance of tech giants in the digital economy.

The report concluded that big tech firms like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon are effectively monopolies, which must be broken up to restore competition and improve innovation in the industry.

The report argues that tech firms are abusing their tremendous power to control access to markets and pick winners and losers.

It recommended several policy measures to radically change the way tech firms operate and urged the House to consider restructuring big tech firms, empowering the agencies responsible for controlling market concentration, and introducing new antitrust rules to block attempts by companies to buy start-ups.