DOJ Reignites Antitrust Fight Against Google, Challenges Court's Refusal To Force Chrome Sale

The U.S. Department of Justice filed an appeal on Tuesday in response to a ruling that did not mandate Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) subsidiary Google to sell off its Chrome browser or terminate its profitable agreement with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as the default search engine on new devices.

In a post on X on late Tuesday, the DOJ Antitrust Division announced, "Today, the DOJ Antitrust Division filed notice that it will cross-appeal from the remedies decisions in its case against Google's unlawful monopolization of internet search and search advertising."

DOJ Sought Chrome Sale, AdX Changes

The DOJ had argued for the sale of Chrome and the sharing of search data with rivals while banning exclusivity agreements that secure Google as the default search engine. The DOJ and several states have also been pushing Google to divest its AdX ad exchange, where it takes a 20% fee on real-time ad auctions, and to make the auction system open source to curb Google's control over digital advertising.

Earlier, in June 2025, Barclays analysts predicted that Google could lose up to 25% in market value if a federal judge ordered the company to divest its Chrome browser.

Alphabet is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday.

Benzinga's Edge Rankings place Google in the 93rd percentile for quality and the 92nd percentile for momentum, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Benzinga’s screener allows you to compare Google’s performance with its peers.  

Price Action: Over the past year, Alphabet stock surged 64.03%, as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Tuesday, the stock edged 1.22% lower to close at $340.70.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo Courtesy: Hadrian On Shutterstock