The DOJ may break up Google

With Google being ruled a monopoly, the government is considering ways to reduce the company's position.

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This summer, Google lost an antitrust lawsuit regarding its search engine and was ruled a monopoly. In the aftermath, the government has been weighing ways to reduce the company’s influence over online search. In a new court filing, the Department of Justice revealed that it’s considering a breakup of Google, among other possible remedies.

The DOJ made a district court filing in Washington D.C. yesterday to propose solutions for Google’s search monopoly. In the report, the group calls out how Google uses its other products to prioritize and boost its search engine.

Multiple Google Pixel smartphones.

Source: Google

Similarly, 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.

One potential solution could see smartphones asking users for their preferred search engine, instead of defaulting to Google. As it currently stands, Google has a deal with Apple that makes Google the default search engine on iPhones and similar devices.

Google responded to the news in a blog post this morning, calling the proposed changes “radical” and “far beyond the specific legal issues in this case.” With the sides prepared to meet in court next year, expect to read future updates on the matter right here on Shacknews.

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

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