In less than a year, two federal judges have ruled that Google broke the law by abusing its dominance in search and digital advertising. The rulings, which are the most significant antitrust wins against a tech giant in decades, mark a critical turning point for the digital economy.
Google’s control of the search ecosystem gives it unparalleled power over who gets heard and who gets paid. This has stifled competition, undermined journalism, and distorted the digital economy. In one case, Google manipulated auctions to favor its own services, while in another, it secured default status on devices and browsers, shutting out competitors.
Regulators around the world have converged on similar verdicts, with the European Commission concluding that only divestiture could remedy Google’s ad tech conflicts of interest. However, for meaningful change to happen, regulators must take more than just symbolic fines or behavioral tweaks.
To truly address Google’s dominance, regulators must enforce structural separation and behavioral changes. This includes requiring Google to divest parts of its ad tech stack, spin off Chrome, and ensure interoperability. They should also enforce transparency in AI model training and content usage.
Global coordination is crucial for effective enforcement, preventing regulatory arbitrage and retaliatory actions. The US cases should embolden regulators elsewhere to act swiftly.
Ultimately, this is not just about innovation or competition; it’s about power. Who sets the rules for knowledge circulation? Who profits from public discourse? Governments must show that the law still has teeth by implementing structural remedies, not settlements.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/24/google-broke-the-law-its-time-to-break-up-the-company