A judge ruled in August that Google has unfairly controlled online search, which could have big effects on the tech world and Google itself.
The U.S. government has now asked the judge to consider forcing Google to break up, possibly by selling its Chrome browser, to reduce its dominance in search.
This ruling is still being worked out, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, plans to appeal, which could delay any changes for a while.
One possible solution is for Google to sell off parts of its business. The Department of Justice (DOJ) suggested that Google might need to sell Chrome and possibly Android, as these platforms help Google promote its search engine over competitors.
Google could also be stopped from paying big companies, like Apple, to make Google the default search engine on their devices.
A potential fix could also involve offering users a choice of which search engine to use. In the past, companies like Yahoo and Ask were popular, but Google took over the search market by simply being the best at what it does.
Even with alternatives like Microsoft’s Bing, it’s hard to imagine people switching away from Google, which works well for most users.
The legal process is expected to take a long time. A similar case with Microsoft back in the 1990s shows that breaking up a tech giant can take years to resolve.
It’s still unclear how this ruling will affect the tech industry in the long term, but it could open the door for more changes in how companies like Google operate.
This information is based on a report by BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy9eegg0rdvo