If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re using Chrome. That’s because two-thirds of the world’s browsing is done on the Google application. It’s not just popular among users, it’s also an important part of Google’s advertising business. It now looks like there’s a good possibility that Alphabet, the company that owns Google, may be forced to sell Chrome. Google and other tech giants have been under the microscope of American authorities in recent years. In August, the Department of Justice determined that Google had broken the law by paying $41 billion to ensure it was the default search engine on smartphones and browsers. Now, the DOJ is asking the court to force Google to sell Chrome due to its market dominance. They say the company should also share data and search results with rival browsers like Edge, Firefox and Safari. Antitrust laws, which allow the government to break up monopolies, could force Google to sell Chrome. Then, if competition doesn’t improve, Google would have to sell its Android operating system for smartphones. The company would also be banned from paying billions of dollars to companies like Apple to make itself the default search engine on their devices. This is unlikely to happen overnight, as experts say that Google has the option to appeal any rulings. In fact, Google is set to present its case to the court on December 20.
