News: 0175217639

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DOJ Indicates It's Considering Google Breakup Following Monopoly Ruling (cnbc.com)

(Wednesday October 09, 2024 @03:00AM (BeauHD) from the breaking-news dept.)


In a new [1]32-page filing (PDF), the Department of Justice indicated that it was [2]considering a possible breakup of Google as an antitrust remedy for its search and advertising monopoly. The remedies necessary to "prevent and restrain monopoly maintenance could include contract requirements and prohibitions; non-discrimination product requirements; data and interoperability requirements; and structural requirements," the department said in the filing. CNBC reports:

> The DOJ also said it was "considering behavioral and structural remedies that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to advantage Google search and Google search-related products and features -- including emerging search access points and features, such as artificial intelligence -- over rivals or new entrants."

>

> Additionally, the DOJ suggested limiting or prohibiting default agreements and "other revenue-sharing arrangements related to search and search-related products." That would include Google's search position agreements with Apple's iPhone and Samsung devices -- deals that cost the company billions of dollars a year in payouts. The agency suggested one way to do this is requiring a "choice screen," which could allow users to pick from other search engines. Such remedies would end "Google's control of distribution today" and ensure "Google cannot control the distribution of tomorrow."



[1] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.223205/gov.uscourts.dcd.223205.1052.0_1.pdf

[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/08/doj-indicates-its-considering-google-breakup-following-monopoly-ruling.html



Or something else.. (Score:3)

by JamesTRexx ( 675890 )

I'd be happy if they forbade Google from infecting each and every damned website (framework).

At least I have every affilited site blocked by default through eMatrix on Pale Moon, and I was a Google search fan in the beginning.

Re:Or something else.. (Score:4, Insightful)

by phantomfive ( 622387 )

It would be nice if they broke Chrome off from Google. Having Chrome be part of Google has added some really weird things to HTML (for example, the shadow DOM).

Insane Breakup ... (Score:3)

by JasterBobaMereel ( 1102861 )

Split it into the parts that make money and the ones that don't ... yeh that'll work just fine ...

Re: (Score:2)

by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) *

Split it into the parts that make money and the ones that don't ... yeh that'll work just fine ...

That seems to be the point.

Nobody can compete if their "competition" can lose money all day long forever.

So how would remains survive? (Score:1)

by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

One of the main reasons all the google/alphabet properties work at all is because there are a lot of not profitable parts that mine a lot of data on people's preferences, which in turn are fed into the search engine that allows for more accurate personalized tuning of search results. Which is where bulk of money that google earns comes from.

What would happen to a lot of them if you fracture this structure? How much worse would google search get? Would it still even be a good search to use, especially consid

Re: (Score:2)

by Zumbs ( 1241138 )

The datamining entities could sell access to the data to the profitable entities, thereby making money and becoming profitable? This could feasibly also open the door for other dataminers with competing products and a different user base. Not sure if this will be better for us private citizens, though.

Re: (Score:2)

by OolimPhon ( 1120895 )

> How much worse would google search get?

Google still does search? Who knew?

Re: (Score:3)

by gweihir ( 88907 )

Found the dumb moron that does not even understand the basics of economics.

While they are at it ... (Score:4, Insightful)

by nukenerd ( 172703 )

There are worse monopolies than Google. Microsoft is one, and Amazon has been largely responsible for the demise of countless smaller businesses, both brick-and-mortar and on-line. In the UK, town high streets that have been there for centuries are shuttering up, affecting the economic and social geography in ways that are not good. I now need to spend half a day driving in order to buy a pair of shoes, because I won't buy them or most other clothing without trying them for size first. Thanks to Amazon.

Re: (Score:2)

by gweihir ( 88907 )

Let us Google gets it as they so richly deserve, and then those others are next.

Won't the ad part just grow massive again? (Score:2)

by SlashDotCanSuckMy777 ( 6182618 )

What's to stop the most profitable part from just remaking all the same services again?

You can't push on a string.