The US says it is weighing the Google split as a remedy for private lawsuits

Article content

The US Department of Justice has told a federal judge that it is considering recommending that Google LLC be forced to sell parts of its operations to mitigate the damage caused by its dominance of the Internet search market, in what could be a historic antitrust split.

In a statement filed in court on Tuesday, lawyers said Judge Amit Mehta may also compel the Alphabet Inc. unit. to provide access to the underlying data it uses to build its search results and artificial intelligence products.

Article content

The Justice Department is “considering moral and structural remedies that would prevent Google from using products like Chrome, Play and Android to benefit Google search and Google search-related products and features — including areas and emerging search features, such as artificial intelligence — over competitors.” or new entrants,” said the organization in the file.

The filing marks Washington’s first push to dismantle a company through illegal authorization since failed attempts to break up Microsoft Corp. two decades ago. The 32-page filing outlines the options a judge could make as the case moves into the pretrial phase.

Antitrust officials say Google has reaped the benefits of scale and data from its illegal distribution agreements with other technology companies that have made its search engine the default choice on smartphones and web browsers.

The Justice Department said it may seek a requirement that Google allow websites more power to opt out of its artificial intelligence products. The agency said it is also considering proposals related to Google’s dominance over search text ads such as requirements for the company to provide more information and control to advertisers over where their ads appear.

Article content

The agency may also request that Google be restricted from investing in search competitors or potential competitors. The agency said it will provide a full proposal on remedies next month.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mehta, who ruled this summer that Google violated antitrust laws in both the online and text search ad markets, plans to hold a trial on the proposed remedy next spring and issue a ruling in August 2025. Google has already said it plans to appeal Mehta’s decision. , but he must wait until he has finished the remedy before doing so.

Google’s Android business includes the operating system used on smartphones and devices as well as applications.

On Monday, a separate judge ordered Google to open its app store for the next three years to settle a separate antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games Inc. related to its dominance in the distribution of applications for Android smartphones. The company also plans to file an appeal against the decision.

Article content