It doesn’t matter when you read this, it is almost certain that in the last hours you have used some Google service. Maybe you have sent an email in Gmail, received a message on your Android mobile, sailed with Chrome or made a google search. The company dominates so many aspects of digital life that is difficult to escape its ecosystem. But with that power the problems also arrive: the antitrust authorities have been pressing for years to detach from some divisions, and a possible separation is getting closer.
Doj vs. Google. The pulse between Google and the US authorities is not new. In October 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and eleven state prosecutors filed a lawsuit accusing Mountain View company to monopolize internet searches. After years of litigation, in August last year, federal judge Amit P. Mehta failed against him, concluding that the technological giant had maintained his domain in the searches market by imposing entry barriers that hindered competition. One of its main strategies has been to pay mobile manufacturers such as Apple to ensure be the default search engine on its devices.
A bold measure on the table. Throughout history, the authorities have intervened to stop the domain of large companies, although the most common strategy is usually imposing economic sanctions. Forcing part of the business, on the other hand, is a drastic and rare measure. In the case of Google, this option went to the forefront the same day the failure against it was confirmed, although informally. However, the judge had not yet determined the corrective measures, which will be announced throughout 2025. Even so, the possibility of a split becomes increasingly strength.
The Department of Justice presses to fragment Google. Although, as we say, the judge has not explicitly supported Google’s fragmentation, the DOJ, which represents the US government, has insisted on that option as part of the corrective measures. He has argued that the only way to stop his monopolistic domain in searches is to force the company to get rid of Chrome and, potentially, of Android. The striking thing is that the first attempt occurred under the administration of Joe Biden, but the second has arrived, against all prognosis, with Donald Trump in the White House.
“Thanks to its colossal size and its power without restrictions, Google has taken consumers and companies an essential promise that is owed to them: the right to choose between different services. Its illegal practices have created an economic giant that dominates the market to the point of guaranteeing that, whatever happens, it always wins, ”said the DOJ in his last presentation asking for the disinversion of the company in key areas. “Google’s illegal behavior has created an economic giant that wreaks havoc on the market to make sure what happens, Google always wins. American consumers and companies suffer from Google’s behavior, ”he added.
An uncertain panorama. The presentation has been signed by Omeed A. Assefi, who currently leads the antimonopoly division interimly while the Senate evaluates the confirmation of Gail Slater, the one chosen by Trump to assume the position. ASSEFI is no stranger to the former president: he was part of the civil rights division of the Department of Justice during his first term. Slater, on the other hand, has indicated that he hopes to apply regulations with surgical precision, while Trump has not hesitated to accuse the great technological ones of acting without control, to quell competition and take advantage of their market domain to restrict rights. With this panorama, it continues in the air if its appointment will mark a change of strategy or if, on the contrary, the pressure on the technological sector will continue to increase.
Wasn’t Trump hope? Before even being elected president, several technological leaders went to him in search of solutions. Tim Cook, from Apple, for example, called him to complain about the regulatory approach of the European Union, to which Trump responded with a promise: he would not allow them to take advantage of US companies. SUCBLE Pichai, from Google, shared a meal with him, although the details of that conversation remain a mystery. The company itself also donated a million dollars to the bottom of its inauguration. Now, with a judicial ruling that could force her to divide, Google has already announced that she will appeal the decision to avoid the dreaded chopstick.
Effects throughout the ecosystem. Churning Google would not only affect the company itself, but would shake the entire digital ecosystem. Chrome and Android are not profitable business for themselves, they exist to channel users to their search engine, the true gold mine of the company. Separating them would completely change the rules of the game, affecting online advertising, agreements with manufacturers and software we use on our devices. But that’s not all: if the authorities are seriously with Google, the rest of the giants such as Apple, Amazon or Meta could be the following in the sight.
Images | WorldOfSoftware with Dalle · 3 | Greg Bulla
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