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Federal antitrust officials are trying to force Google to sell off its Chrome web browser as part of an antitrust ruling and are no longer targeting an Android sell-off, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The judge is also being asked to force Google to implement new rules around Google's AI and Android tech, though it's currently unclear what exactly those rules might be. Data licensing requirements may also be implemented, according to the report, which doesn't elaborate further on the type of data in question.
The changes and proposed resolutions come months after the judge ruled in August that Google's search engine is a monopoly in the case, which was brought forth by the US Department of Justice in 2020. Chrome is reportedly a primary concern for the antitrust regulators because they see it as a main way to access Google Search.
Google VP of Regulatory Affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland has rejected the government's arguments, calling their plans "a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case" and claiming the government is "putting its thumb on the scale" to harm consumers.
Chrome makes up 61% of the browser market in the US, and it's also used the most. Apple's Safari comes second, but is significantly behind in market share, while Edge, Firefox, Opera, and others are used even less. Chrome began to grow in popularity back in 2009 after its launch, and went from just 6% of the global browser market to already 60% of it by 2013, according to historical data estimates.
Chrome has a number of Google integrations, letting users sign into their Google accounts (which includes Gmail, Google Drive, etc.) to manage dedicated Chrome profiles. It collects data on you, and then finds ways to monetize that data.
Google's ad tech business is also facing a separate DOJ trial, with policy experts arguing in September that Google's alleged monopoly over the ad tech business also harms the open web and worsens inflation.
Gmail connects more data to you than Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook, and Chrome similarly links more types of data to you than Edge or Safari. Chrome links your financial info, browsing history, identifiers, location, usage data, user content, and "other data" to you as well, while Safari and Edge don't tie your financial, location, or browsing history data to you.
If you want more privacy while using the web, it's worth looking at alternative web browsers and email clients that don't collect or use as much of your data.