The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed measures to address Google’s dominance in online search, which could significantly impact the company’s profits and slow its progress in artificial intelligence (AI), Reuters reports.
The DOJ is considering several actions, including forcing Google to divest parts of its business, such as the Chrome browser and Android operating system, which are seen as key to maintaining its online search monopoly. Other possible remedies include restricting Google’s collection of user data, making its search results accessible to competitors, allowing websites to opt out of content usage for AI training, and subjecting Google to oversight from a court-appointed committee.
Google’s share of the US search ad market is expected to fall below 50% by 2025, and the DOJ’s actions could benefit competitors like DuckDuckGo and Microsoft Bing, as well as AI rivals such as Meta Platforms and Amazon.
Some industry experts believe the proposed remedies may be overly broad and face significant legal challenges, drawing comparisons to the historic antitrust case against Microsoft in 1999. Following the announcement, Google’s stock fell by up to 2.8%, but some investors seem skeptical about the likelihood of a forced breakup.
