
WASHINGTON — Google is confronting an existential threat as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for turning its revolutionary search engine into an illegal monopoly. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading. The drama began to unfold Monday in a Washington courtroom as three weeks of hearings kicked off to determine how the company should be penalized for operating a monopoly in search.
Main Idea: The U.S. Department of Justice is asking a federal court to impose major penalties on Google after a judge found its search business was an illegal monopoly.
Key Points:
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A breakup or forced data sharing could disrupt Google services and raise privacy or security risks for consumers and small businesses.
A tougher ruling could curb monopoly power and give people and companies more choice in search and online tools.
Rate how each entity in this article affected the American people.
Central company facing the U.S. government’s antitrust remedy hearing and potential breakup.
The article discusses these named companies together as a central group.
Core government enforcer pushing the breakup remedies and leading the antitrust case.
Google’s corporate parent, directly affected by the proposed remedies and case outcome.
Major business partner whose search deal is targeted by the Justice Department’s proposed remedies.
The court conducting the remedy hearing and determining penalties.
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Sign in to commentNamed federal judge presiding over the remedies phase and central to the case outcome.
Named president under whose administration the Justice Department continues the case.
Used as the main historical antitrust comparison and referenced as a prior monopoly case.
Named former president under whose administration the proposed penalties were originally made.
Referenced as a rival AI product in the discussion of how AI may affect Google’s dominance.
Google cofounder mentioned as part of the company’s origin story.