Google could be forced to sell Chrome browser by DOJ antitrust lawsuit

Regulators have specifically targeted Google’s $26 billion annual spending on agreements to secure default search engine status across various devices.

The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice calls for sweeping punishments that would include a sale of Google’s industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions to prevent Android from favoring its own search engine.

US prosecutors asked a judge on Wednesday to force Alphabet's Google to divest its Chrome browser, share data and search results with competitors and take other steps to end its internet search monopoly.

Such changes would essentially result in Google being highly regulated for 10 years, subjecting it to oversight by the same Washington federal court that ruled the company maintained an illegal monopoly in online search and related advertising.