Ganesh Kendale
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated late Tuesday (October 8) that it is weighing a potential breakup of Google as a remedy in its ongoing antitrust case against the tech giant. This development comes after federal Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google holds an illegal monopoly in the search market.
In a court filing, the DOJ said it is “considering behavioural 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.”
How DoJ plans to ‘break-up’ Google
The proposed remedies could include forcing Google to sell off parts of its business, limiting or prohibiting default agreements with device manufacturers, and requiring the company to provide competitors access to its search index data and AI models.
“The remedies necessary to prevent and restrain monopoly maintenance could include contract requirements and prohibitions; non-discrimination product requirements; data and interoperability requirements; and structural requirements,” the DOJ stated in its filing.
The Department of Justice is anticipated to submit a more comprehensive proposal to the court by November 20.
Google, which plans to appeal the ruling, criticised the DOJ’s recommendations as “radical.” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, said in a blog post, “Splitting off Chrome or Android would break them — and many other things.”
Google get December 20 as ‘course correction’ deadline
Google will be provided with an opportunity to present its own remedies by December 20.
The case, initially filed in 2020, alleged that Google maintained its dominance in the search market by creating strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that sustained its monopoly. Google currently holds a 90% share of the search market.
Judge Mehta aims to rule on the remedies by August 2025, though an appeal by Google could potentially extend the process for years.
