The government argues Chrome gives Google an unfair edge by directing users to Google Search by default. With around 66 percent of the global web browser market share, Chrome is tightly integrated with Google’s search engine, reinforcing the company’s dominance. Already, AI rival OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome.

The outcome of the trial could fundamentally reshape the internet by unseating Google as the go-to portal for information online.

Near the beginning of his opening arguments, David Dahlquist, a lawyer for the US Department of Justice, showed a slide that he described as Google’s “vicious cycle.” It goes like this: Google pays billions of dollars to be the default search engine practically everywhere,