Washington D.C. – The U.S. government is considering a historic move to break up Google, the world’s largest search engine, following accusations from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the tech giant has caused “pernicious harms” to American consumers and stifled competition in the online search market. The DOJ’s action stems from an August court ruling that found Google illegally monopolized the online search market.
If the DOJ proceeds with its proposed remedies, and they are accepted by the judge, it could result in one of the most significant regulatory interventions in the history of the tech industry. The remedies could force Google to separate key products, such as its Chrome browser, Play Store, and Android operating system, from its search engine business, which generates revenue through advertising.
In its court filing, the DOJ argued that Google’s practices over the past decade have prevented competitors from gaining a foothold in the market, allowing the company to charge high prices for ads while lowering the quality of its services. The DOJ said that Google used products like Chrome and Android to funnel users toward its search engine, reinforcing its market dominance and suppressing competition.
“Google’s unlawful conduct persisted for over a decade and involved a number of self-reinforcing tactics,” the DOJ said, adding that it is considering measures to prevent the company from using its products to give undue advantage to its search engine.
The DOJ is expected to submit a detailed proposal by November 20, while Google will have until December 20 to offer its own set of remedies.
In response, Google has strongly opposed the proposed actions. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, described the DOJ’s recommendations as “government overreach” and warned that breaking up the company could harm consumers, developers, and businesses. She also argued that separating products like Chrome and Android from Google could lead to higher prices, as these platforms currently operate at no cost to users but would need to generate revenue independently if detached from Google.
Mulholland also claimed that Google’s practice of paying companies like Apple and Samsung billions of dollars to make Google the default search engine on their devices subsidizes those products. Without these payments, she warned, prices for those devices could increase.
Experts believe the DOJ’s proposed remedies could reduce Google’s dominance in the search market, opening the door for competitors to gain market share. However, according to Xiaofeng Wang, a principal analyst at Forrester, technology innovations and strategic consumer adoption efforts would also be necessary for competitors to succeed.
The outcome of this case could set a broader precedent for regulating other tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Apple, which are also facing antitrust lawsuits from the U.S. government.
