Alphabet Inc's Google

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) to seek court intervention forcing Alphabet's Google to end exclusive deals and divest its internet browser Chrome and Android operating system, Bloomberg reported on Monday citing sources familiar with the matter.

The DOJ will ask the judge who ruled in August that Google illegally monopolised the search engine market, to reign in on Google-programmed artificial intelligence and Android smartphone operating system.

The report said Google controls how people view the internet and what ads they see in part through its Chrome browser, which typically uses Google search. Google also gathers information important to its ad business, and is estimated to have about two-thirds of the global browser market.

Because Chrome's market share is so high, it is an important revenue driver for Google. At the same time, when users sign into Chrome with a Google account, Google can offer more targeted search ads.

Prosecutors had floated a range of potential remedies in the case, from ending exclusive agreements where Google pays billions of dollars annually to Apple Inc and other companies to remain the default search engine on tablets and smart phones, to divesting parts of its business, such as Chrome and Android operating system.

The prosecutors' move would be one of the most aggressive attempts by the Biden administration to curb what it alleges are Big Tech monopolies.

As reported, Alphabet plans to appeal once US District Judge Amit Mehta makes a final ruling, which he is likely to do by August 2025. Mehta has scheduled a trial on the remedy proposals for April.

Google maintains its search engine has won users with its quality, adding that it faces robust competition from Amazon and other sites and users can choose other search engines as their default.