Google may have been officially given the decision to acquire a monopoly, but we’re still a long way from finding out what this determination will actually change at the tech company. Today, the US Justice Department filed notice of plans to cross-appeal last fall’s ruling that Google would not be required to sell its Chrome browser. The agency’s antitrust division posted about the crackdown on bloombergA group of states are also joining in filing the appeal.
At the time of the 2025 decision, the Justice Department had pushed for chrome sales to be part of the outcome. Judge Amit Mehta rejected the agency’s request. “Plaintiffs seek the forced divestiture of these key assets, which Google does not use to effect any illegal restriction,” Mehta’s ruling said. However, they placed other restrictions on Google’s business activities, such as the end of exclusive deals to deliver certain services and the requirement to selectively share search data with competitors.
Google has already filed its appeal on this part of its ongoing antitrust battle. Undoubtedly, the tech giant is hoping to be let off the hook with a lesser penalty rather than the hefty penalty sought by the DOJ.
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