U.S. Government May Push for Google's Breakup Amid Search Monopoly Allegations

U.S. Government Explores Potential Breakup of Google

On Tuesday, the U.S. government indicated it may pursue a court ordercompel Google to divest certain businesses to compel Google to divest certain businesses, such as its Chrome browser and Android operating system. This development follows an August court ruling that deemed Google to be operating an illegal monopoly in the search market.

Possible Penalties Under Consideration

The Justice Department is currently weighing various penalties, including the possibility of a breakup as one of the options. Other considerations include:

• Requiring Google to share its search indexes, data, and models with competitors.

• Stopping Google's financial arrangements that ensure its search engine is pre-installed or set as the default on new devices.

Notably, Google spends billions annually to maintain its default status on devices from companies like Apple.

Ensuring a Competitive Future in AI

Additionally, proposed regulations aim to prevent Google from establishing a new monopoly in artificial intelligence. Google vehemently denies all allegations and plans to appeal the recent ruling.

Support from Rivals

Some of the potential remedies have garnered support from smaller competitors, including DuckDuckGo. Yelp, a review platform that recently filed a lawsuit against Google, has suggested that divesting the Chrome browser and AI services should be on the table.

Next Steps for the Justice Department

The Justice Department is expected to present more detailed proposals to the court by November 20, with Google given one month to submit its own counter-proposals. Regardless of the outcome, these actions are likely to impact Google's revenues and fundamentally alter how Americans navigate the internet.