Google Defends Empire as DOJ Seeks Breakup in Antitrust Trial

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a court-ordered breakup of Google, starting with divesting its Chrome browser, after a judge ruled Google held a monopoly in internet search. The DOJ argues that Google's dominance has unfairly stifled competition, particularly by securing default search placements on browsers and devices, and that more drastic remedies beyond choice screens are needed, including sharing search data with rivals and potentially spinning off Android in the future. Google counters that such measures would harm American innovation, economic interests, and national security, especially as global competition in artificial intelligence intensifies, citing emerging competitors like China's DeepSeek. The company also warns that breaking up its ecosystem could disrupt open-source development, raise costs for hardware makers, and threaten the viability of browser competitors like Mozilla. The remedies phase is expected to last three weeks, with Google preparing to appeal if the court sides with the DOJ. This case follows a separate legal defeat for Google over its advertising monopoly, signaling increased momentum for antitrust actions against major tech firms.