New York: The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly preparing a bid to split up Alphabet Inc.’s Google after a historic court decision determined that the business has monopolised the online search industry, a move that could significantly reshape the digital landscape, according to persons familiar with the discussions published by US media.
“The move would be Washington’s first push to dismantle a company for illegal monopolisation since unsuccessful efforts to break up Microsoft Corp. two decades ago,” said Bloomberg on Tuesday.
“Less severe options include forcing Google to share more data with competitors and measures to prevent it from gaining an unfair advantage in AI products, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations,” the report said, according to Xinhua news agency.
“Justice Department officials are considering what remedies to ask a federal judge to order against the search giant,” said The New York Times. “They are discussing various proposals, including breaking off parts of Google, such as its Chrome browser or Android smartphone operating system.”
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Other eventualities being contemplated include compelling Google to surrender agreements that made its search engine the default choice on devices like the iPhone or requiring it to make its data available to competitors. As per the report, the government is holding meetings with various companies and experts to deliberate on their suggestions for curbing Google’s authority.
In the last four years, US federal antitrust officials have filed lawsuits against Apple, Amazon, and Meta Platforms, alleging the corporations improperly maintained monopolies. For instance, Apple was accused of using its App Store to stifle competition, while Amazon was accused of using its dominance in online retail to disadvantage third-party sellers. On allegations that it had coerced Windows users to use its Internet Explorer web browser, Microsoft and the DOJ reached a settlement in 2004.
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–IANS
