Key Takeaways
- In 2024, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google operates an illegal search monopoly.
- The court will now determine what remedies to enforce.
- The Department of Justice is seeking Google’s divestment from Chrome and changes to Android.
Nearly a year after a landmark antitrust lawsuit ruled that Google operates an illegal search monopoly, the Department of Justice (DoJ) is pushing its case that the company should be broken up.
While Google has vowed to appeal the initial ruling, court hearings that start on Monday, April 21, will determine whether the DoJ wins its preferred remedies.
Google Antitrust Case Returns to Court
In August 2024, Judge Amit Mehta found that Google exercises monopoly control over the market for internet search services.
During the following months, DoJ prosecutors proposed that Google spin off the Chrome browser to help create a more level playing field for other search providers.
Meanwhile, they also requested that the court force Google to relinquish its control of the Android mobile operating system or cease making its services mandatory on Android phones.
As the case returns to court, the DoJ is asking Judge Amit Mehta to order the first breakup of an American firm under the Sherman Act since AT&T was forced to divest from regional operators in 1982.
A High Bar for Corporate Breakups
The Google monopoly case isn’t the first major antitrust showdown of the digital era.
In 2000, Judge Thomas Jackson ordered Microsoft to spin off Internet Explorer after the DoJ argued that the software company had used its operating system monopoly to stifle competition from alternative browsers.
In Microsoft’s case, an appeals court ultimately overturned Judge Jackson’s remedies, and the DoJ opted to settle, rather than continue to pursue a breakup of the business.
But in recent years, the dominance of a handful of Big Tech corporations has prompted calls for more aggressive antitrust enforcement.
Cracking Down on Big Tech Monopolies
Google Search isn’t the only component of Google’s sprawling digital services business to come under scrutiny.
On April 17, Judge Leonie Brinkema found the company liable for “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in advertising technology (AdTech)markets.
While it is yet to formally file a complaint, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also investigating Google’s AdTech business.
The FTC investigation comes as the regulator is suing Meta in another antitrust trial that is currently being heard in court.
If the judge in that case rules that the firm operates an illegal monopoly, the FTC is expected to seek its divestment from WhatsApp and Instagram.
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
