Google Asks DOJ to Reject Breakup

Bloomberg was the first to report that Google asked the U.S. Department of Justice to back off from its recommendation that the search giant should be broken up for violating U.S. antitrust laws. The report cites multiple sources.

Google lost its historic U.S. antitrust case in August 2024, with U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruling that the firm is a monopolist because of its monopoly in Internet search, and that it violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act via illegal business practices. In November, the DOJ and several U.S. states then submitted their proposed remedies in the case, which included (among other things) a possible breakup of Google in which it divests itself of its Chrome web browser and, if needed, the Android mobile platform.

Google proposed a less dramatic set of remedies in December, as required by the judge, and it asked for a less stringent 3-year compliance time frame, compared to the 10 years requested by the DOJ. But it appears that the company is now trying a new tactic. Citing national security concerns, it has asked the DOJ to back away from its breakup recommendation. This comes ahead of a Friday deadline during which each of the parties in US v. Google must submit their final recommendations to Judge Mehta.

Google has seemingly confirmed the report.

“We routinely meet with regulators, including with the DOJ to discuss this case,” a Google statement notes. “As we’ve publicly said, we’re concerned the current proposals would harm the American economy and national security.”

None of Bloomberg’s sources mentioned specific examples of national security concerns, so it’s unclear what the threat is. Google previously argued that a breakup is “radical” and “would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership” and “endanger the security and privacy of millions of Americans.”