The US Department of Justice plans to ask a judge to impose historic sanctions on Google, already found guilty of anticompetitive practices in the management of its search engine. Among these measures, the tech giant could be forced to part with Chrome, its flagship browser, due to its central role in access to the search engine, a monopoly undermining the chances of competitors, reports the Bloomberg agency. this Monday
Google was therefore found guilty last summer of illegal practices to establish and maintain its monopoly in online search by Amit Mehta, a federal judge in Washington. The latter could rule on the sentence in August 2025, after receiving the official request from the authorities in November and hearing both parties during a special hearing in April 2025.
A strategy to limit monopoly
According to Bloomberg, authorities also want Google to unbundle Android from its other products, such as Google Search and the Google Play app store. At the same time, they are targeting new generative artificial intelligence tools, in particular “AI Overviews”, these instant responses which reduce the traffic of third-party sites and stifle competition.
The move marks a significant shift in U.S. antitrust policy, reminiscent of the failed attempt to break up Microsoft twenty years ago. “Google currently accounts for 90% of the global online search market, and 94% on smartphones,” underlines the StatCounter site.
Google practices at the heart of the debates
Last summer, the trial revealed the colossal sums invested by Google to ensure that its search engine was installed by default on devices manufactured by Apple and Samsung. These lawsuits were initiated under Donald Trump and continued under Joe Biden.
If the judge approves the authorities' requests, these measures could permanently transform the digital landscape. However, Google plans to appeal, which could delay these changes for several years. Asked by AFP, the Ministry of Justice did not comment on the case.
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