Google is officially a Monopoly, according to a U.S. judge. The fallout from the decision is likely to be felt in the tech space for years to come. Pending appeals, the search giant could be forced to shrink its business. And as part of that requirement, Google could be forced to divest Android, changing the entire mobile landscape.
The Information broke down the potential repercussions of the DOJ's decision, and some are obvious — Google and its exclusivity deals with firms like Apple will need to go. But the more interesting bit of speculation involved Google being forced to divest Android, an extremely popular mobile operating system.
Judge Amit Mehta mentioned Android's role in perpetuating Google's' monopoly at several points in the DOJ's suit. Essentially, it forces Samsung and other manufacturers that use the OS to make Google Search a critical part of the devices. Because the complaint is focused explicitly on Google Search, this is likely to be where Android comes into play.
"Asking Google to divest Android isn't just restructuring Google, it's fundamentally remaking the entire mobile industry," said Avi Greengart, a consumer technology analyst and Techsponential President in a statement to Tom's Guide.
Suppose the U.S. government were to push Google to step away from Android. In that case, an independent company might not be incentivized to promote Google Search, as Google wouldn't be allowed to form a partnership with the new owner.
Nobody knows what remedies the government will ask for, and, in theory, a structural breakup is definitely a possibility. However, in the real world it would be difficult and potentially disastrous for competition – supposedly the very thing the DOJ is trying to preserve.
Avi Greengart, Techsponential
That said, users seem to like using Google to find things online. Sure, that could change as OpenAI and other AI chatbots get more heavily into search, but for now, it's Google with everyone else fighting for second place. Even if Android moved to an independent company, Google could still be the default search engine because users want that.
One way or another, getting Google to the point where the government considers it to be operating without monopolistic practices will take some significant changes. Whether it be dropping Android to an independent company or just dismantling its partnerships, something will likely change. Eventually — the appeals process will take a long, long time.
