The U.S. Department of Justice is ramping up its case against Google’s alleged monopoly, suggesting the government could eventually force the company to sell its widely-used Chrome browser. The move is part of the DoJ’s push to challenge Google’s hold over the digital advertising and search engine markets.

The Justice Department’s latest legal action accuses Google of engaging in anticompetitive behavior by unfairly using its dominance in search and advertising to prop up its other services, most notably Chrome. The government argues that Google’s browser and vast data ecosystem have given the company an outsized advantage over competitors, stifling innovation and harming consumers. By bundling Chrome with its Android operating system, Google has built an extensive network that could limit consumer choice and make it difficult for smaller firms to compete.

  • fuzzywombat@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    Which tech company would buy Chrome from Google? I just can’t think of a single tech company that could be an improvement over Google owning Chrome.

    • Amazon

    • Apple

    • Meta

    • Microsoft

    • Oracle

    What about media companies? I don’t see consumers benefiting from this.

    • Comcast

    • Disney

    • Netflix

    • Viacom

    What about telecom? I still don’t see consumers benefiting from this.

    • AT&T

    • T-Mobile

    • Verizon

    What about foreign companies? Will they be even allowed to buy Chrome? I’m not sure.

    • LG

    • Philips

    • Samsung

    • Sony

    The more I think about it, this won’t end well.

    • jackyard@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      Chromium is already there and companies like Microsoft have their own forks so… Yeah I think there’s no point of buying Chrome.

      • Rob T Firefly@lemmy.world
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        11 days ago

        It’s the most popular web browser in the world. Direct access to the browser windows and browsing data of the majority of Internet users would be the point.

    • Madis@lemm.ee
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      11 days ago

      Of those companies, Apple seems like the best option due to their business goals (privacy). Though I am not fully sure why they’d want to as they already have a browser with a relative market share dominance and ecosystem.

      Realistically, it would make sense to see Microsoft try again, it would instantly get 70% of the world to use “Edge”, so their goals are met. Chrome already has the modern web standards, so it might just mean slower progression of the web in the future.