Google could soon face a historic breakup as a federal judge prepares to rule on remedies in the government’s landmark antitrust case against the search giant. Judge Amit Mehta, who ruled last year that Google illegally monopolized the search market, is considering drastic measures that may include forcing the company to sell its Chrome browser.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has urged sweeping remedies to curb Google’s monopoly power. Proposed solutions include divesting Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser, and requiring Google to license its search data to competitors. Officials argue these steps are necessary to restore competition in a market Google has dominated for decades.
Chrome has been a cornerstone of Google’s business model, serving as the gateway to its search engine and advertising empire. Stripping Chrome away would weaken Google’s grip on user data and advertising revenue. Several companies, including AI firms like OpenAI and Perplexity, are reportedly interested in acquiring the browser should the court order a sale.
Beyond Chrome, a requirement to license Google’s search data would give rivals the tools to build better search engines. That move could loosen Google’s stranglehold and encourage innovation, potentially giving Americans real alternatives when searching the internet.
The case has drawn comparisons to the breakup of AT&T in 1984, which reshaped the telecommunications industry. If Judge Mehta orders divestitures, it would mark the most significant government intervention in Big Tech to date.
Google’s dominance has also raised concerns about political bias and censorship. Breitbart News previously reported that Google slashed its search visibility by nearly 100 percent in the run-up to the 2020 election, effectively purging conservative outlets from results. From 2016 to 2020, Breitbart’s visibility in Google search dropped from thousands of ranked terms to nearly zero, while overall traffic from Google plummeted by 63 percent.
The court’s decision could redefine not only the future of Google but the entire online information landscape. For the first time in decades, Americans may see meaningful competition in how they access information online.
