August 14th, 2024

U.S. Said to Consider a Breakup of Google

The U.S. Justice Department is exploring remedies for Google's search monopoly after an antitrust ruling, including potential breakups and data sharing, with a hearing set for September 6.

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U.S. Said to Consider a Breakup of Google

The U.S. Justice Department and state attorneys general are exploring various remedies to address Google's monopoly in online search, following a recent ruling that found the company violated antitrust laws. Discussions include potential breakups of parts of Google, such as its Chrome browser or Android operating system, as well as requiring the company to share data with competitors or abandon exclusive agreements that make its search engine the default on devices like iPhones. Judge Amit P. Mehta, overseeing the case, has requested a process for determining remedies by September 4, with a hearing scheduled for September 6. The ruling against Google is significant, raising concerns about the power of major tech companies, and could influence ongoing antitrust cases against other firms like Apple and Amazon. Google, which generated $175 billion in revenue from its search services last year, plans to appeal the ruling. The Justice Department is weighing its options carefully, considering the implications of any remedies on the tech landscape. Proposals from competitors, such as DuckDuckGo, suggest banning default agreements and enhancing user choice in search engines. The outcome of this case could reshape the competitive dynamics of the digital economy.

- The U.S. is considering breaking up Google to address its search monopoly.

- Judge Mehta has requested a process for remedies by September 4.

- Google plans to appeal the recent antitrust ruling against it.

- Proposals include forcing Google to share data and banning default search agreements.

- The case could influence broader antitrust actions against other tech giants.

Link Icon 5 comments
By @blackeyeblitzar - 5 months
Way overdue but also required for the rest of the big tech companies. Look at how Google and others can lose billions on one failed product after the next - any smaller company would go bankrupt. Competition isn’t fair when one player can just afford to take risks and failures of that scale. And then there’s all the anti competitive aspects like network effects or bundling or whatever. We need all new laws around anti trust because a monopoly today looks different from a monopoly a hundred years back.
By @motbus3 - 5 months
Please, could someone elaborate how a forced split would solve the problem? Behind the scenes still the same people isn't it?
By @microkrat - 5 months
Splitting of Youtube as a separate entity would be a great start. Maps needs to stay with search.
By @tracker1 - 5 months
It's funny, since the "monopoly" decision, not sure exactly when, they seem to have pulled their finger off the scale of political candidate search results.