It's the latest development in a yearslong, bipartisan antitrust battle against Google. In August, a federal judge ruled that the company held an illegal monopoly in both search and text advertising, violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The DOJ's request represents the agency's most aggressive attempt to break up a tech company since its antitrust case against Microsoft, which reached a settlement in 2001.
Chrome, which Google launched in 2008, provides the search giant with data it then uses for targeting ads. The DOJ said in the filing that forcing the company to get rid of Chrome would create a more equal playing field for search competitors.