The US Justice Department is considering breaking up Google
The US Department of Justice is currently considering asking the court to break up Google, one of the leading technology players. The move could fundamentally change not only the future of Google, but also the future of the entire technology industry, the BBC reported.
According to a statement from the ministry, “structural measures” are being considered that would prevent Google from continuing its monopoly in the internet search market.
In practice, these measures would mean that Google would not be able to use its other products, such as the Chrome browser, the Play store or the Android operating system, to support its search engine. The ministry plans to submit concrete proposals for measures by 20 November to prevent Google from further entrenching its dominance.
Google will be given a month to respond, with a deadline of 20 December to submit its own proposals. Google representatives have already warned that the proposed measures could have negative consequences for US businesses and consumers. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, called the measures an “overreach of government authority.”
Debates about a possible breakup of Google began after an August court ruling that confirmed Google maintains its dominance in the search market through illegal means. The ruling was a major blow to Google’s parent company, Alphabet. The plaintiffs in particular pointed out that Google pays billions of dollars to companies like Apple and Samsung to remain the default search engine on their devices.
But this case is only part of a broader problem. The Google ruling could also affect other tech giants such as Meta, Amazon and Apple, which face similar accusations of restricting competition. Prosecutors are trying to boost competition in the tech sector and reduce the influence of big firms in the market.
If Google is indeed broken up, it would be one of the biggest crackdowns on global tech corporations in modern history.
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