Google has been declared an illegal monopoly by Judge Amit Mehta, with the search engine giant found to have violated antitrust law by spending billions of dollars to keep the competition at bay and become the biggest platform in the process. Just a week after this verdict, the U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly considered splitting Google into separate companies as the first step towards breaking the dominance of Big Tech.
Other options explored by the U.S. DOJ was forcing Google to share data with competitors to prevent it from getting an unfair advantage against them
Sources familiar with the matter spoke with Bloomberg, informing them about the existing options. While breaking up Google is being considered by the authorities, other alternatives such as the company being forced to share data with rivals are also being explored. The Mountain View behemoth leverages its search engine reach to obtain an unfair advantage in several AI products, but the report mentions that there could be some plan in the pipeline to prevent such measures.
Google’s Android operating system was also in the crosshairs of the DOJ, with divesting the platform being considered as one of the remedies. Authorities were also considering attempting to force a possible sale of AdWords, which is Google’s search ad program, and divestment of the Chrome web browser. For anything thinking that the technology giant is being singled out, antitrust watchdogs have targeted multi-billion-dollar entities such as Meta, Amazon, and Apple in the past, claiming that these companies have illegally monopolized the market.
Microsoft was previously engaged in a skirmish with the DOJ in 2004 when it was claimed that the software titan was forcing Windows-powered computers to use its Internet Explorer browser. Google has also been found to be paying Apple billions to keep its search engine as the default one on various devices. It was reported through court documents that in 2021, the iPhone maker pocketed $26 billion thanks to this agreement. However, Apple executive Eddy Cue has stated that there is no search engine alternative to Google, while also mentioning that there is no price Microsoft could pay to get Apple to abandon its partnership.
News Source: Bloomberg
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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