Google Facing Possible Breakup of Search Engine Business by US Justice Department MT NEWSWIRES
07:51 AM EDT, 10/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google (GOOG) is facing a possible breakup of its search engine business by the US Justice Department, which hinted at possible "behavioral and structural remedies" to reduce the technology giant's dominance in online search, a court document said Tuesday.
The new proposed remedies are necessary to "prevent and restrain monopoly maintenance" and may include contract requirements and prohibitions; non-discrimination product requirements; data and interoperability requirements; and structural requirements, the DOJ said in the court filing.
The DOJ said it was planning "behavioral and structural remedies that would prevent Google (GOOG) from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to advantage Google (GOOG) search and Google (GOOG) search-related products and features."
In response, Google (GOOG) said that the government was working on a "sweeping agenda" that would affect numerous industries and products.
"The DOJ's outline also comes at a time when competition in how people find information is blooming, with all sorts of new entrants emerging and new technologies like AI transforming the industry," Google (GOOG) said in a blog post Wednesday.
The technology giant also said it sees the "risk of unintended consequences" in the proposed remedies, including privacy and security concerns, risks to progress on innovation and risks to the value of online ads.
Price: 164.05, Change: -1.65, Percent Change: -1.00 |