TL;DR – Google is now firmly in the DOJ’s crosshairs – and it looks like there’s no escaping it…
The filings also make it clear: the Department of Justice (DOJ) is gunning to create serious space for alternatives to Google Search.
- Chrome divestiture is seriously being considered.
- The DOJ wants to open Google’s APIs to boost competition.
- Search isn’t the only target—AI dominance is in scope too.
- Anthropic will remain with Google (for now), but that may streamline the case.
- The government is framing this as a fight for economic freedom.
Read on for the full report, links to the case papers, and more…
The U.S. government is making it crystal clear: it’s not backing down in its antitrust war with Google.
New filings in the USA v Google case, reviewed today, outline a sweeping plan that could radically reshape the search giant’s business—and the internet as we know it.
Chrome Breakup? That’s Now a Real Possibility
- Chrome Breakup? That’s Now a Real Possibility
- Key Highlights From The DOJ’s Case Against Google
- 1. Chrome Is Front and Center — and Very Much on the Chopping Block
- 2. Google’s Contracts Are Described As “Exclusionary and Anticompetitive by Design”
- 3. Mandatory API Access – A Big Blow to Google’s Walled Garden
- 4. Future-Proofing: DOJ Knows Google Will Try to Hide Behind AI
- 5. Advertising Business Under Fire: DOJ Proposes Anti-Self-Preferencing Rules
- 6. The Language Is Brutal — And Deliberately So
- What Happens Next?
The most eye-catching development is the increasing likelihood that Google could be forced to divest Chrome—yes, the Chrome browser that dominates over 60% of global web traffic.
A Chrome breakup, once considered a fringe idea, now looks like a very real scenario.
Chrome – alongside Android – is Google’s nervous system: it is how it tracks, monitors, and collates the data of billions of people every single day.
Losing Chrome will hamper The Big G’s ability to track users which, in turn, would affect its core business, advertising.
Key Highlights From The DOJ’s Case Against Google
1. Chrome Is Front and Center — and Very Much on the Chopping Block
“Google’s browser is a primary vehicle for self-preferencing and excluding competition.”
The DOJ doesn’t mince words: Chrome isn’t just a browser — it’s a weapon.
The document explicitly states that Google uses Chrome to entrench its dominance in search by locking users into the Google ecosystem, collecting disproportionate user data, and prioritizing Google Search over rivals.
The government wants structural separation, which very likely means a forced divestiture of Chrome.
2. Google’s Contracts Are Described As “Exclusionary and Anticompetitive by Design”
The remedies describe how Google’s default agreements with phone makers, carriers, and browser developers were designed not just to gain market share—but to crush competition before it had a chance to exist.
“Google’s conduct foreclosed rivals’ access to distribution channels… undermining the competitive process itself.”
In short: the DOJ argues Google rigged the market before competitors ever had a shot.
3. Mandatory API Access – A Big Blow to Google’s Walled Garden
One of the most powerful proposals: Google would be forced to open up APIs and provide competitors with tools and interfaces equal to what Google gives its own services.
This would include:
- Ad tech APIs
- Search ad auctions
- Data and analytics tools
This is effectively a forced unbundling of Google’s infrastructure, giving competitors access to the pipes that fuel Google’s monopoly.
4. Future-Proofing: DOJ Knows Google Will Try to Hide Behind AI
The DOJ saw this one coming a mile away: the remedies are explicitly designed to apply to future products like AI search and chatbots.
They want to ensure Google doesn’t just shift its anticompetitive behavior from traditional search into generative AI and escape oversight.
“Google’s AI developments cannot be allowed to replicate the same exclusionary structure as traditional Search.”
This section is a clear shot at things like Gemini, which is already being integrated into Google Search results.
5. Advertising Business Under Fire: DOJ Proposes Anti-Self-Preferencing Rules
The document outlines strict behavioral constraints around Google’s ad business. These include bans on:
- Preferencing Google-owned ad platforms
- Bundling Search and ad services
- Manipulating ad placement to favor itself
This directly attacks the core of Google’s money-making engine. And if enforced, it could blow open the doors for competitors in the ad tech market.
6. The Language Is Brutal — And Deliberately So
The DOJ isn’t trying to sound polite.
It goes full throttle with some of the harshest language you’ll ever see in a legal filing of this kind:
“Google’s conduct presents a genuine danger to freedom in the marketplace and to robust competition in our economy.”
This isn’t just about antitrust anymore — this is about restoring market democracy, according to the DOJ.
What Happens Next?
DOJ Wants to Blow Open the Market for Search Rivals
The filings also make it clear: the Department of Justice (DOJ) is gunning to create serious space for alternatives to Google Search.
That includes proposals that would force Google to open up its core APIs—tools that could allow new players to build search engines, ad platforms, and more with the kind of backend access that’s long been Google’s biggest advantage.
This could be a turning point for smaller search players like DuckDuckGo or Brave Search—and even open the door to new players entirely.
Even AI Isn’t a Loophole
Interestingly, the DOJ’s proposal isn’t just about search.
It’s forward-looking and drafted to apply to future AI products too. So even if Google tries to shift its dominance from Search to AI, it won’t be able to sidestep the new rules.
Anthropic Sale Off the Table—But That Might Be a Strategic Win
While the DOJ has backed away from forcing Google to sell its stake in AI firm Anthropic, that might not be a loss.
Observers say this move simplifies the case, reduces legal pushback, and could make actual remedies more enforceable in the near term.
Bipartisan Agreement: Google’s Power Has Gone Too Far
One surprising thread throughout the filings? A rare moment of unity between political factions.
Both sides of the aisle seem aligned on one thing: Google’s dominance is a problem.
In fact, the DOJ used unusually strong language, calling Google’s conduct a “genuine danger to freedom in the marketplace.”
This type of language signals just how aggressive the government plans to be in reining in Big Tech.
If these remedies go through, it could lead to the most significant restructuring of Google’s business in its history—and potentially kick off a wave of new innovation and competition in search, advertising, and AI.
And after all the shenanigans Google has pulled in the last 24 months, well… it couldn’t have come at a better time. Here’s hoping the DOJ finally puts Google in its place.
