Google angry at reported plan to force it to sell Chrome

Chrome is the most used browser worldwide – with web traffic tracker Similarweb placing its global market share at 64.61% in October.

Meanwhile Google search corners an almost 90% share of the global search engine market as of October, according to Statcounter, external.

It is the default engine in Chrome as well as on many smartphone browsers, including Safari on iPhones.

Judge Mehta said in his ruling in August that the default search engine was “extremely valuable real estate” for Google.

“Even if a new entrant were positioned from a quality standpoint to bid for the default when an agreement expires, such a firm could compete only if it were prepared to pay partners upwards of billions of dollars in revenue share,” he wrote.

The DOJ had been expected to provide its final proposed remedies to the court by Wednesday.

It said in an October filing documenting initial proposals it would be considering seeking a break-up of Google.

Potential remedies “that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play [its app store], and Android to advantage Google search and Google search-related products” were among its considerations, it said then.