Google reacts angrily to report it will have to sell Chrome

Google has said it would harm consumers and businesses if it is forced to merchantability Chrome, the world's astir fashionable web browser.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) volition suggest the measurement to a justice connected Wednesday, Bloomberg has reported.

Judge Amit Mehta ruled Google operates an online hunt monopoly successful August, and has been considering what remedies oregon penalties to impose.

The DOJ has not commented connected the study - but Google has made wide it is simply a connection it opposes.

"The DOJ continues to propulsion a extremist docket that goes acold beyond the ineligible issues successful this case," said Google enforcement Lee-Anne Mulholland successful a statement.

Google volition besides reportedly beryllium asked to found caller measures astir its artificial intelligence, Android operating strategy and usage of data.

"The authorities putting its thumb connected the standard successful these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological enactment astatine precisely the infinitesimal it is astir needed,” Ms Mulholland added.

Chrome is the astir utilized browser worldwide - with web postulation tracker Similarweb placing its planetary marketplace stock astatine 64.61% successful October.

Meanwhile Google hunt corners an astir 90% stock of the planetary hunt motor marketplace arsenic of October, according to Statcounter.

It is the default motor successful Chrome arsenic good arsenic connected galore smartphone browsers, including Safari connected iPhones.

Judge Mehta said successful his ruling successful August that the default hunt motor was "extremely invaluable existent estate" for Google.

"Even if a caller entrant were positioned from a prime standpoint to bid for the default erstwhile an statement expires, specified a steadfast could vie lone if it were prepared to wage partners upwards of billions of dollars successful gross share," helium wrote.

The DOJ had been expected to supply its last projected remedies to the tribunal by Wednesday.

It said successful an October filing documenting archetypal proposals it would beryllium considering seeking a break-up of Google.

Potential remedies "that would forestall Google from utilizing products specified arsenic Chrome, Play [its app store], and Android to vantage Google hunt and Google search-related products" were among its considerations, it said then.

Google has antecedently denied operating a monopoly successful online search.

In effect to the DOJ's filing successful October, Google said "splitting off" parts of its concern similar Chrome oregon Android would "break them".

"Breaking them disconnected would alteration their concern models, rise the outgo of devices, and undermine Android and Google Play successful their robust contention with Apple’s iPhone and App Store," the institution said.

It besides said it would marque it harder to support Chrome secure.

• What could Google monopoly ruling mean for you?

Revenues from Google's hunt and advertizing businesses roseate by 10% to $65.9bn, according to the company's latest quarterly results.

Chief enforcement Sundar Pichai said the company's AI hunt tools for were present being accessed by millions of users.

Investors person been keeping a adjacent oculus connected Google's stock terms connected Tuesday, pursuing reports of the DOJ's projected remedies.