October 9 2024
By Jiwoo Choi
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering the possibility of dismantling Google following its loss in an antitrust lawsuit in August. Reports from Bloomberg and Reuters on October 8 indicate that the DOJ may propose to a Washington, D.C. federal court that parts of Google's business be sold off to alleviate its monopoly in the online search market.
The DOJ stated in court documents that it is exploring both behavioral and structural remedies to prevent Google from using its Android operating system and Chrome browser to maintain an unfair competitive advantage in search and AI. Google has described these potential actions as "radical," arguing they could lead to significant unintended consequences for consumers, businesses, and U.S. competitiveness.
The lawsuit, initiated in October 2020, accused Google of violating antitrust laws by securing its dominant position in the search engine market, which it controls nearly 90% of, partly by paying billions to smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. The court has not yet decided on specific penalties, with more detailed proposals expected from the DOJ by November 20 and from Google by December 20. If pursued, this would be the first major corporate breakup attempt in two decades.