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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicated that they may ask a judge to break up parts of Google after it was ruled to be an illegal monopoly.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Earlier this year, a judge ruled that Google had violated antitrust laws by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the general search market. The ruling came as part of a broader antitrust case initiated by the Department of Justice in 2020, which alleged that Google had used its dominance to create barriers reinforcing its control of the search market. The ruling has now led to the DOJ suggesting potential remedies to curb the company’s anticompetitive behavior.

What the DOJ is recommending: In court filings, the DOJ listed a wide range of ideas that could help eliminate Google’s anticompetitive behavior, this includes restricting Google’s ability to enter into agreements that make its search engine the default on devices, requiring the company to share its search data, AI models, and ranking algorithms with competitors, and potentially separating Google’s search business from other products like Chrome, Android, and the Play Store.
Google’s not having it: In a statement, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, said, “This case is about a set of search distribution contracts. Rather than focus on that, the government seems to be pursuing a sweeping agenda that will impact numerous industries and products, with significant unintended consequences for consumers, businesses, and American competitiveness.” She added that the DOJ’s recommendations were “radical.”
Google appeal?: Google has announced its intention to appeal the court’s ruling. The company argues that the decision overlooks its search products’ high quality and innovation, which it claims benefit consumers.