Justice Departments plans to ask a judge to force Google’s parent company to sell Chrome
NEW YORK (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - There could be a big court fight in the tech world. Bloomberg reports the Justice Department plans to ask a judge Wednesday to force Google's parent company to sell "Chrome," its popular internet browser.
The latest news on a potential move against Google comes after a landmark ruling in August, finding the company created an illegal monopoly on search engines; that's a decision Google plans to appeal.
While the Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to comment, for Chrome users, the difference would be relatively minor. Instead of Google being your default search engine, you'd just have to go to Google.com.
But for the company, this could be a substantial blow. Owning the number one browser provides critical user data for its advertising. Further, as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into search, any restrictions could prevent google's chances of being a market leader.
The judge will not make an official decision until August of next year, but he could go against the DOJ's recommendation and pursue a different course altogether.
There is a potential wildcard: President-Elect Donald Trump will take office before the sentencing and appeal process. While the case was originally filed during his first administration, he has since expressed skepticism about breaking Google up.
