Google is set to face a historic antitrust trial in Washington this week, as the US Department of Justice (DOJ) moves to compel the tech giant to divest its Chrome browser in order to reintroduce competition into the online search market.

The case marks a pivotal moment in the U.S. government's long-running scrutiny of Google's business practices. It follows two recent legal victories for federal prosecutors: a ruling in August that Google monopolised the search market, and another on April 17 in Virginia, where a judge found the company maintained an illegal monopoly in advertising technology.

Presided over by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, the three-week trial could have far-reaching consequences for the structure of the internet, potentially altering Google's role as the dominant gateway to information. Judge Mehta is also overseeing a concurrent antitrust case against Meta Platforms related to its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, according to a recent report by Reuters.

At the heart of the case is the DOJ's claim that Google's agreements with device makers which also include multibillion-dollar deals with Apple is used to make its search engine the default option on smartphones and tablets have unlawfully entrenched its market dominance. 

Prosecutors, backed by 38 state attorneys general, are proposing measures that would dismantle these exclusive arrangements and require Google to license its search data to rivals, as per the Reuter's report.

Should these remedies prove insufficient, the US government has proposed more drastic actions, including forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser or even its Android mobile operating system. Prosecutors argue that such steps are necessary to enable meaningful competition in the search space, particularly from emerging AI-driven platforms. Executives from Perplexity AI and OpenAI are expected to testify about how Google's current practices have hindered their efforts to gain market share, according to Reuters.

In a blog post published on Sunday, Google executive Lee-Anne Mulholland criticised the Department of Justice's approach, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's cautionary stance on antitrust remedies. "When it comes to antitrust remedies, the U.S. Supreme Court has said that 'caution is key.' DOJ's proposal throws that caution to the wind," she said in the statement.

Google, the tech giant by Alphabet, contends that disrupting its financial arrangements with browser developers like Mozilla, which relies heavily on Google funding, could threaten their viability. It also argues that ending payments to device makers would likely increase smartphone costs for consumers. Google plans to call witnesses from Mozilla, Apple, and Verizon to bolster its case, according to a report by Reuters.