Google and DOJ Battle Over Technical Feasibility of Chrome Separation

Google is currently in the middle of a remedies trial, following its defeat in court last year, in regards to search monopoly. We’re hearing new information from the courtroom on a daily basis, and this time is no different. Google has now argued that nobody else can run Chrome effectively due to complex service integration, so a separation from it is not the best idea.

As many of you know by now, the breakup of Google could be one of the remedies after this trial. The sale of Chrome has been mentioned numerous times before, and quite a few companies expressed their desire to acquire Chrome. OpenAI, Perplexity, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo have all said they’d love to get Chrome.

Google doesn’t believe any other company can run Chrome effectively

With that being said, Bloomberg reports that Google doesn’t think a single other company can run the browser properly. It’s easy to think of Chrome as a single app or service, but it’s a complex balance of many services, actually. Services that rely on Google’s servers and expertise.

“Chrome today represents 17 years of collaboration between the Chrome people”, said Parisa Tabriz, Chrome’s General Manager. This was said during Friday’s proceedings. It was also added that “trying to disentangle that is unprecedented.”

Tabriz went on to explain further. Chrome services, such as safe browsing and password breach identification, need Google in order to properly work. If Google ends up being forced to sell Chrome, those services would cease to function, said Tabriz.

DOJ’s expert disagrees with Google, he says that Chrome separation is not that much of a problem

There was a counter-argument, of course. James Mickens, a computer science expert for the Justice Department and a professor at Harvard, disagrees with Google. He said that “the divestiture of Chrome is feasible from a technical perspective. It would be feasible to transfer ownership and not break too much.”

At this point, the sale of Chrome does look likely. Google will be issued a list of remedies, and the sale of Chrome seems to be, by far, the most likely major change Google will be forced to do. You never know with trials like this one, though, we’ll have to wait and see. There’s still approximately two weeks left. Do note that Chrome is estimated to cost upwards of $50 billion if Google ends up being forced to sell.

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