Google vs. US: How court ruling could change the company’s two biggest businesses

Google I recently lost antitrust case against U.S. Department of Justice (DJ) for illegally monopolizing the search engine and search engine advertising market. While Google can still challenge the ruling, the outcome of the antitrust case could have far-reaching consequences for the tech giant.
In this case, the Justice Department accused Google of abusing its dominant position to restrict competition and harm consumers. Key allegations include exclusive deals worth billions of dollars with companies such as Apple to make its search engine the default on iPhones and other devices.

Government scrutiny could hamper Google’s AI search ambitions

The report says that after winning the case against Google, the Justice Department won’t simply try to undermine the company’s deal with Apple. According to The Information, government lawyers could make it harder for Google to launch its next version of search, an AI-powered search with conversational capabilities.
“In the next phase of the case, which will involve penalizing Google’s illegal monopoly, government lawyers will also likely try to make it harder for the company to dominate the next version of search — conversational AI — and make it easier for rival search providers to take over its 95 percent market share, according to lawyers following the case,” the report said.

Google’s Android operating system may be at risk

Google’s other major business is Android, which powers 2.5 billion devices, which could also be affected.
The DoJ is also expected to push for significant structural changes at Google, rather than just imposing behavioral restrictions. One potential remedy being considered is a forced divestment of Android, which the judge found was instrumental in perpetuating Google’s dominance, according to Gene Burrus, a former deputy general counsel at Microsoft.