The U.S. Justice Department is contemplating a significant move to compel a federal judge to mandate that Google divest sections of its business, potentially leading to a historic breakup of one of the largest technology companies globally.
In a court filing on Tuesday, the Justice Department revealed that antitrust officials are evaluating a breakup to address what they deem Google’s overwhelming dominance in the search engine market. This confirmation aligns with an earlier report from Bloomberg News. Judge Amit Mehta may also require Google to grant access to the data it utilizes to generate its search results and AI products.
The Justice Department noted that it “is considering behavioral and structural remedies” to prevent Google from leveraging its products, such as Chrome, Play, and Android, to favor Google Search and related offerings—including emerging features like artificial intelligence—over competitors or new market entrants.
The filing outlines potential options for the judge as the case progresses into the remedy phase, with the agency planning to present a more comprehensive proposal for remedies next month.
This initiative represents the most substantial effort to rein in a major technology firm over allegations of illegal monopolization since Washington’s unsuccessful attempt to dismantle Microsoft two decades ago. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have intensified their scrutiny of Big Tech, examining mergers and investments while accusing numerous influential companies of maintaining illegal market dominance.
Antitrust officials argued that Google reaped benefits from illegal distribution agreements with other tech firms that established its search engine as the default option on smartphones and web browsers. Google’s Android platform covers both the operating system for smartphones and devices and related applications.
The Justice Department also mentioned that it may propose that Google permit websites to have greater choice in opting out of its AI products. Additionally, the agency is contemplating requirements related to Google’s dominance in search text advertising, including giving advertisers more control and transparency regarding the placement of their ads. There is also a possibility of prohibiting Google from investing in competing search firms or potential rivals.
In response, Google criticized the Justice Department’s filing as “radical,” warning it could lead to significant unintended consequences for consumers, businesses, and the competitiveness of the U.S. economy.
“We believe that today’s blueprint goes well beyond the legal scope of the Court’s decision about Search distribution contracts,” wrote Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, in a blog post.
Google is facing increasing antitrust pressure from various cases. Judge Mehta, who previously ruled that Google violated antitrust laws in both online search and search text advertising markets, is set to preside over a trial regarding the proposed remedies next spring, with a decision anticipated by August 2025. Google has indicated plans to appeal Mehta’s decision once a remedy is finalized.
Last year, European Union regulators also raised the prospect of breaking up Google’s business to address competitive concerns. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition chief, stated that “divestiture is the only way” to alleviate worries regarding how the company prioritizes its services over those of competitors, advertisers, and online publishers. This European case, which might reach a conclusion by the end of the year, forms part of an ongoing situation that has already resulted in three EU fines exceeding €8 billion ($8.8 billion).
Daniel Ives, managing director and senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, expressed skepticism about the likelihood of a breakup occurring imminently amid the ongoing antitrust scrutiny, predicting that Google would engage in extensive legal battles.
A coalition of U.S. states that initiated a lawsuit against Google concerning its search monopoly is contemplating pressing the tech giant to fund a public education initiative aimed at informing users on how to switch search engines.
In a separate development, a federal judge recently ordered Google to keep its app store accessible for the next three years in response to an antitrust lawsuit by Epic Games concerning its control over app distribution on Android devices. Google plans to appeal this ruling as well.
Last month, proceedings continued in another antitrust case targeting Google’s dominance in technology for online display advertising, with closing arguments set for late November. If the court concludes that Google monopolized this market, antitrust authorities may seek to compel the company to divest parts of its ad technology business.
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