US authorities are considering the possibility of breaking up Google, after a court found that the company engaged in illegal monopolistic practices in the internet search market – Bloomberg and "The New York Times" report.
One of the measures under consideration is forcing Google to sell its Android operating system or Chrome browser.
Bloomberg emphasizes that breaking up Google is the most drastic of the proposed options aimed at curbing the company's dominance. Other possibilities include forcing Google to share data with competitors and introducing mechanisms to prevent it from gaining an unfair advantage in artificial intelligence.
Federal prosecutors also plan to seek a ban on Google entering into exclusive agreements, such as those with Apple, which ensured that Google's search engine was the default option for users.
These agreements were one of the reasons why a federal court in Washington found Google guilty of illegally exploiting and maintaining a monopolistic position in the search and online advertising markets. The court stated that these actions harm consumers and stifle innovation.
The court has yet to decide on the penalty and remedies. The US Department of Justice, which filed the lawsuit against Google together with a group of state attorneys general, has until September 4 to present its proposals, and a hearing in the case will take place on September 6.
"The New York Times" adds that federal prosecutors are also considering the possibility of forcing Google to sell off the part of the company responsible for Android or Chrome. Such a move would not be unprecedented – a similar case occurred 20 years ago when a court ordered the breakup of Microsoft, though an appellate court later overturned that decision.
Nevertheless, as "NYT" notes, that ruling had long-term consequences that contributed to weakening Microsoft's dominance and created conditions for the development of competing companies, such as Google.
