Google may be forced to break up its search business

DOJ looking to curtail Google’s dominance in the search engine space

News By Luke Hughes published 9 October 2024

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted a court filing to break up Alphabet’s Google search business on the grounds that its other consumer businesses give it an unfair advantage.

In a 32-page filing to the US District Court in Washington D.C. (via Bloomberg), the government agency 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.”

It’s unclear as yet whether the DOJ will be successful, after failing to break up Microsoft over similar accusations of a web browser monopoly all the way back in 2001. In August 2024, the agency also sued Apple for creating a monopoly by suppressing third-party services, apps and wallets.

US v Google

The DoJ accuses Google of making its search engine the default on smartphones and a number of web browsers owing to its illegal distribution agreements with their operators. Given that Android is a popular Google-owned operating system, it’s easy to see how a conflict of interest may have developed.

Google has described the filing as “radical”, though I’d even stretch to “tubular”, based on how the DoJ also takes a dim view of Google leveraging its search engine to give prominence to Gemini, the name for its AI tool. It wants assurance that websites will be allowed more control over opting out of incorporating its AI products, and over where their ads appear on Google-owned services.

Google’s VP of Regulatory Affairs, Anne Mulholland wrote in a blog post that “[Google believes] that today’s blueprint goes well beyond the legal scope of the Court’s decision about Search distribution contracts”, and that the “sweeping agenda” will pose “significant unintended consequences, businesses and American competitiveness.”

Yes, yes, God bless the American search engine industry, but it’s worth noting that the European Union has been gunning for a breakup of Google since 2023 in a case that comes after a veritable slew of fines issued for data privacy breaches. And if Google’s search breakup is beyond even the power of a bloc of states, the American government might not have any hope.

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