Google faces potential breakup over monopoly findings

The U.S. Department of Justice is exploring the possibility of breaking up Google following a recent federal court ruling that found the tech giant guilty of violating antitrust laws.

According to a report on Sky News, the court determined that Google used billions of dollars to establish an illegal monopoly and become the default search engine globally, marking a significant victory for regulators targeting Big Tech's dominance.

The Department of Justice is also considering alternative measures, such as requiring Google’s parent company Alphabet to share data with competitors and implementing safeguards against unfair advantages in artificial intelligence. Among the breakup options being evaluated are separating the Android operating system, AdWords (Google's search ad program), and the Chrome web browser.

In recent years, Meta, Amazon, and Apple have faced similar antitrust scrutiny, while Microsoft reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in 2004 over claims of forcing its Internet Explorer browser on Windows users.

Neither Google nor the Department of Justice immediately responded to requests for comment.

[Information sourced from Sky News]