For a browser users can download for free, Google Chrome could have a shocking price tag if the judge forces a sale, fetching a whopping $20 billion.

Google Chrome is the world’s leading web browser, with a lion’s share of the market. Google recently lost its antitrust case, in which the court ruled the company has an illegal monopoly over the search market. As a result, the DOJ has proposed remedial measures, not the least of which is forcing the company to sell Chrome.

According to Bloomberg, a forced sale of Chrome could be worth some $20 billion, illustrating just how valuable the web browser is despite being available to users for free.

It’s not surprising the DOJ want’s Google to sell Chrome. As we have pointed out here at WPN, Google operating the dominant search engine, the leading ad market, and the most popular web browser, is like relying on burglars to provide a home security system. There’s absolutely no incentive to make that security system as safe and robust as possible.

Similarly, given that Google makes the bulk of its money from advertising and consumer data, trusting the company to provide a privacy-oriented experience with its Chrome web browser is an unreasonable expectation. In fact, the company has already been in trouble multiple times for not providing the level of privacy users expects, such as when Incognito mode continued to collect data on users’ browsing habits.

Unfortunately, while forcing Google to sell Chrome is one of the most logical remedies, it’s also comes with a number of potential complications.

1. Mozilla. Mozilla makes Firefox, the leading competitor to Chrome. Unfortunately, since it’s difficult to make money making a web browser, Mozilla relies on Google for the bulk of its income, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Google pays Mozilla largely to help maintain a “diverse” browser ecosystem, as the company would face even greater regulatory scrutiny if its main competition went under. If Google is forced to sell Chrome, there will be little incentive for the company to continue paying Mozilla, leaving the independent browser maker looking for a way to make up for the lost income.
2. It’s unclear what, if any, company would be willing or able to take over Chrome development. As Mozilla is well aware, it’s difficult to make money off of a web browser unless the browser maker is willing to profit of of its users’ data. Any company that purchases Chrome, however, would not have Google’s search engine or ad network to leverage the web browser in the same way Google has been able to.

However the case against Google proceeds, it will no doubt have a significant impact on the web browser market, potentially shaking it up more that at any time since Internet Explorer took the top spot from Netscape Navigator.