One of the world’s biggest and most valuable companies, Google, might have to split up its business on the government’s orders. This will be the biggest breakup in history and the second in half a decade. Last time, USA’s premier telecom provider, At&T, was split into Baby Bells four decades ago.
The main reason for splitting Google is its monopoly over the sectors it provides services. The US Department of Justice, in a court filing on Saturday, said that it may recommend that Google dismantle its core businesses. The tech giant may separate its Google Play app store, search, Chrome, and Android businesses on the government’s recommendation.
The court filing filed by the government said, “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.”
This decision comes after a federal judge ruled in August that Google’s search business violated antitrust law in the country. The judge also called Google a “monopolist,” which paved the way for the US Department of Justice to change one of Google’s oldest and most valuable businesses. This change will affect millions of people who use the service. However, Google had previously paid search engines to buy them off, fueling the fire.
The Department of Justice has yet to say the final word. That being said, if Google’s search business is spat, it might change how we search on the internet, which will be a big blow to the tech giants. We might even see a few new players making their debut, maybe even AI models.
