US DOJ Seeks to Break Up Google in Major Antitrust Push

 

In a bold move to escalate its antitrust case against Google, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on November 20 urged a federal judge to order the sale of the company’s Chrome browser and to halt its lucrative deals making Google the default search engine on smartphones. The DOJ’s filing also proposed measures to curb Google’s dominance of the market through its Android operating system and suggested that, if necessary, Google should be forced to divest Android entirely.

These recommendations mark a major step in the government's ongoing battle to address Google’s alleged monopolistic practices, representing one of the most aggressive antitrust actions against a major tech company in recent history.

Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, responded to the DOJ’s proposals, accusing the agency of pushing a “radical interventionist agenda.” Walker argued that breaking up Google would disrupt the company’s product ecosystem, hinder innovation, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, and undermine America’s technological leadership on the global stage.

This case signals a significant shift in the US government’s stance on regulating big tech, marking a departure from previous inaction. The last major attempt to break up a tech giant was the failed effort to dismantle Microsoft in the early 2000s.

Google plans to respond to the DOJ’s filing in a legal brief next month, with a hearing set for April before Judge Amit Mehta, who in August ruled that Google holds monopoly power. This ruling paves the way for the next phase of the case, which could take years to resolve, potentially reaching the US Supreme Court.

The outcome of this case may also be influenced by political changes, particularly with the incoming Trump administration. While President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Google for alleged bias against conservatives, he has expressed reservations about breaking up major tech companies.

The DOJ’s action is part of a broader effort to tackle the dominance of big tech, with several antitrust cases currently underway against Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Google. These cases, spearheaded by the Biden administration, are set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of tech regulation in the United States.