Google May Be Heading for a Breakup

Google is facing the possibility of a breakup as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) pushes for significant changes to the company’s operations following a major antitrust lawsuit. After being deemed a “monopolist” by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, the DOJ has now proposed splitting up key Google services, including Chrome and Android, to address its dominance in search.

“Plaintiffs are considering behavioral 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,” the DOJ wrote in its submission.

The proposals focus on breaking the tight integration between Google’s services to encourage fair competition.

The DOJ filing specifically calls out Google’s agreements with third parties, such as its $20 billion annual deal with Apple, which makes Google the default search engine on Safari, Apple’s web browser. Additionally, the DOJ recommends that Google provide its search engine “indexes, data, feeds, and models” to competitors via an API to level the playing field.

The DOJ also seeks new restrictions on Google’s use of third-party data for AI training, as well as more transparency in how it handles advertising, giving advertisers more control over where their ads appear.

In response, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, warned that the DOJ’s proposals could have serious consequences for consumers. “DOJ’s radical and sweeping proposals risk hurting consumers, businesses, and developers,” Mulholland said in a blog post.

Moreover, Mulholland specifically addressed the DOJ’s recommendation for Google to share its search data with competitors: “Forcing Google to share your search queries, clicks, and results with competitors risks your privacy and security,” she wrote, noting that search queries can be highly sensitive and personal.

“In the hands of a different company without strong security practices, bad actors could access them to identify you and your search history,” she added. (GFB)