US Seeks to Break Up Google to Curb Search Monopoly.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has put forward a set of measures aimed at curbing Google’s monopoly in online search.
In a court document submitted late Wednesday, the DOJ suggested that the tech giant should divest its Chrome web browser. Additionally, government attorneys urged District Judge Amit Mehta to compel the company to cease its agreements with firms like Apple and Samsung that designate its search engine as the default on numerous smartphones and browsers.
These proposed measures arise from a significant anti-competition ruling made in August, where Judge Mehta determined that Google had unlawfully suppressed its competitors in the online search arena. The DOJ’s filing was supported by a coalition of US states advocating for changes that would help to dismantle a monopolized market.
“Reinstating competition in the markets for general search and search text advertising as they currently stand will necessitate reviving the competitive dynamics that Google has long suppressed,” the government lawyers stated. In response, Google argued that the DOJ’s proposals represent a drastic interventionist approach that could negatively impact Americans and undermine the country’s leadership in global technology. “[The] DOJ’s excessively broad proposal extends far beyond the Court’s ruling,” remarked Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs. “It would disrupt a variety of Google products—beyond just Search—that users appreciate and rely on in their daily lives.”
Google is anticipated to present its own set of proposed remedies by December 20. Judge Mehta is expected to deliver a ruling by the summer of 2025. According to Statcounter, a web traffic analysis platform, Google’s search engine holds approximately 90% of the global online search market. Government lawyers also pointed out that Google’s ownership of the Chrome browser and the Android operating system has enabled it to direct users to its search engine. One aspect of the proposal includes preventing Chrome from re-entering the browser market for a period of five years.
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The DOJ has suggested that a court should oversee Android to ensure the company does not leverage its ecosystem to benefit its general search services and maintain its dominance in search text advertising. A New Administration The DOJ’s lawsuit against Google was initiated during the final months of Donald Trump’s first term. With the President-elect poised to take office again on January 20, there are questions about whether his new administration will adopt a different stance on the case.
“It would be unusual for the second Trump administration to withdraw from a lawsuit they initiated,” noted Rebecca Allensworth, associate dean for research and antitrust professor at Vanderbilt Law School. Even if Trump were to attempt to halt the case, which Professor Allensworth believes is unlikely, the states involved as plaintiffs could continue independently. “Given that, they can’t make it disappear,” she explained.
“I believe the federal government will remain engaged, but the intensity of their efforts and their demands are quite uncertain.” According to Professor Laura Phillips-Sawyer from the University of Georgia School of Law, the proposed changes could significantly impact the restoration of competition in the online search market. The user data that Google has amassed due to its search dominance has allowed it to “enhance its search algorithm and market text ads,” Professor Phillips-Sawyer stated. “However, these contracts also create barriers for any new players in the search arena to establish a distribution channel, and without a viable way to reach consumers, innovation is unlikely to attract investment.” She believes that if Mehta approves the government’s proposals, it could provide opportunities for competitors to Google, including new entrants, to flourish.