U.S. Court Could Break Up Google

The U.S. Department of Justice is considering asking a federal judge to force Google to divest parts of its business to tackle its online search monopoly.

In a late court filing on Tuesday, federal prosecutors indicated that the judge might also require Google to open its underlying data, which powers its search engine and artificial intelligence products, to competitors.

“For more than a decade, Google has controlled the most popular distribution channels, leaving rivals with little-to-no incentive to compete for users,” the antitrust enforcers wrote in the filing. “Fully remedying these harms requires not only ending Google’s control of distribution today, but also ensuring Google cannot control the distribution of tomorrow.”

The Department of Justice is considering structural changes aimed at preventing Google from leveraging its other products, such as the Chrome browser, Android operating system, AI tools, or app store, to bolster its search business. Prosecutors have focused on Google’s default search agreements, stating that any proposed remedies would seek to limit or ban these deals.

In response, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, criticized the filing, stating that the Department of Justice was “already signaling requests that go far beyond the specific legal issues” involved in the case. She warned that “government overreach in a fast-moving industry may have negative unintended consequences for American innovation and America’s consumers.”

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google’s search engine has been illegally exploiting its dominance to suppress competition and inhibit innovation. Mehta outlined a timeline for a trial on the proposed remedies set for next spring and is expected to issue a decision by August 2025.

Google has announced plans to appeal Mehta’s ruling, but it must wait until he finalizes a remedy before proceeding with its appeal. According to George Hay, a law professor at Cornell University and former chief economist for the Justice Department’s antitrust division, the appeals process could extend for as long as five years.

The stakes are high as the government seeks to address what it views as anticompetitive practices that harm consumers and stifle competition in the tech industry. The case against Google has significant implications for the future of online search and the broader technology landscape.

As this legal battle unfolds, the government and tech advocates will closely monitor its developments, with implications for innovation, consumer choice, and market competition hanging in the balance.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press