The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is pushing for Google to sell off its Chrome web browser amid growing efforts to break up the tech giant’s monopoly on the search market.

Google’s search engine has maintained an approximate 90 per cent share of the global search market since at least 2009.

Having overtaken its competitors, earned its own definition in most modern dictionaries and grown synonymous with the very act of searching the web, a US judge recently determined the tech giant illegally monopolised the search market.

Capping off a lawsuit initiated by the DOJ over four years ago, judge Amit Mehta deemed Google a “monopolist” which has largely acted to maintain its monopoly through default distribution on preloaded device browsers.

Google on the front foot

Following the ruling, Bloomberg reports top officials from the DOJ have decided to ask Mehta to demand Google sell off its shares of Google Chrome.

The publication further reports some anonymous individuals “familiar with the plans” expect the department to seek additional measures for websites which don’t want their content used for artificial intelligence.

Furthermore, the agency will reportedly recommend Google uncouple its Android smartphone operating system from Google search and the Google Play mobile app store.

On 21 November, antitrust officials – along with 13 states which have joined the case – also plan to ask that the judge impose data licensing requirements on Google, such as selling off its underlying click data and query data.

Alternatively, the anonymous source told Bloomberg of plans to suggest Google separately syndicate its search results, a move which would allow effectively bolster the quality of rival search engines and AI tools.

While Information Age understands the judge has not been asked to enact any of these changes at the time of writing, Google has gotten ahead of any potential orders with some stern criticism of the DOJ.

“The DOJ continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs.

“The government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.”

Google plans to appeal the ruling that it broke antitrust laws.

Not just a browser

According to web traffic analytics service Statcounter, Google Chrome accounts for more than 65 per cent of global web traffic, dwarfing its closest competitor Safari, which sits at 18 per cent.

Bloomberg’s anonymous sources said they are pursuing action against the browser because it serves as a key access point for the countless people who use Google’s search engine.

Furthermore, Chrome serves a crucial role in the company’s data collection practices.

Given the tech giant generated more than 77 per cent of its total revenue last year from ad revenue, losing Chrome and its associated data streams could have significant run-on effects for the tech giant.

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mandeep Singh suggested should a sale proceed, Chrome would be worth “at least" $US15-20 billion given it has over 3 billion monthly active users.

As for who would buy the browser, competitors who actually have the necessary financial resources and market position to do so – such as Amazon, Microsoft or Apple – could potentially attract separate antitrust concerns through such an acquisition.

Meanwhile, former Google conversation designer Kento Morita welcomed the DOJ’s notion to sell off Chrome.

“The only people who are scared here are the shareholders,” said Morita.

“Right now, Google is too bloated.”