US Government May Seek Breakup of Google’s Search Monopoly
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US Department of Justice is considering drastic actions to break up Google's internet search dominance, including enforcing structural changes that could prevent the tech giant from leveraging its products like Chrome, Android, and Play for competitive advantage.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed court papers signaling it may request a judge to impose "structural remedies" on Google, potentially forcing the company to break up parts of its business to diminish its monopoly over the internet search market.
One of the possible remedies under consideration is preventing Google from bundling its search engine with other products such as Chrome, Android, and Play, which the DoJ argues give the company an unfair advantage over competitors.
Another measure could involve stopping Google from paying to have its search engine pre-installed on smartphones and other devices, a practice the company has reportedly spent billions on.
Google, owned by parent company Alphabet, said it would contest any such moves, describing the government's actions as an "overreach" that would ultimately harm consumers.
The recent filing follows an August court ruling in favor of the DoJ, which found that Google—controlling around 90% of the global search market—had violated antitrust laws and used billions of dollars to maintain an illegal monopoly. This ruling set the stage for the ongoing legal battle, where the Justice Department seeks to address Google's market dominance.
According to the court filing, Google’s behavior has caused “interlocking and pernicious harms” to users, and restoring competition to the market, which is “indispensable” to Americans, is of critical importance.
The judgment stated: “Plaintiffs are considering behavioral and structural remedies that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to advantage Google search and Google search-related products and features—including emerging search access points and features, such as artificial intelligence—over rivals or new entrants.”
The potential remedies could also prevent Google from paying companies like Apple and Samsung to make Chrome the default browser on their devices. In 2021 alone, Google reportedly spent $26.3 billion to secure its search engine as the default option on many products.
The filing emphasized: “For more than a decade, Google has controlled the most popular distribution channels, leaving rivals with little to no incentive to compete for users. Fully remedying these harms requires not only ending Google’s control of distribution today, but also ensuring Google cannot control the distribution of tomorrow.”
Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice-president for regulatory affairs, criticized the DoJ’s proposals as “radical and sweeping,” arguing that they could have damaging consequences for consumers, businesses, and developers.
She stated: “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.”
The Justice Department is expected to provide more detailed proposals by November 20, with Google set to respond with its own suggestions by December 20.