US Department of Justice Outlines Breakup of Google in Historic Anti-Trust Case
It has been called the most aggressive tech anti-trust case since the attempt to break up Microsoft in 2001.
An anti-trust case by the US Department of Justice against Google, which began in 2020, has continued to gain intensity since a ruling in August asserted that Google is engaged in an illegal monopoly over the search engine market. The ruling had affirmed the opinion that Google spent billions to secure its position as the default world’s search engine, squashing potential competition through its acquisition of power.
On Wednesday, November 20 Federal attorneys submitted a detailed plan to US district judge Amit Mehta in Washington, DC, outlining steps including ending its Apple partnership, making proprietary data available to more competitors and advertisers, and finally, fully divesting from its browser Google Chrome. For many, the moment is reminiscent of the attempt to break up Microsoft in 2001, which is likely the last anti-trust case to reach this level.
To illustrate how the resolution could affect the company’s business, Google made $49.4 billion in revenue from search advertising alone according to its third quarter reports.
In response to the ruling, Google shared a blog post calling it “a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership.” “DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision. It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives,” the post continued.
Whether or not, Google’s parent Alphabet will be required to do so will be decided at a later court date in early 2025.
Stay tuned for updates on the historic anti-trust case and other technology news at HYPEBEAST.
