The US government’s ambitious campaign to rein in Big Tech has hit a significant obstacle, with a federal judge rejecting the core of the Justice Department’s proposed remedies against Google. The decision not to break up the search giant is being interpreted as a major court victory for the industry and a sign of the immense challenges facing antitrust enforcers.
Despite a guilty verdict on monopolization, Judge Amit Mehta stopped short of the structural separation that the DOJ had argued was necessary to restore competition. This outcome follows other recent setbacks for US regulators, including the failed attempt by the FTC to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, painting a picture of an uphill battle for the government.
The ruling highlights a potential judicial reluctance to impose remedies that could be seen as disrupting innovation or harming major US companies. The judge’s emphasis on the competitive potential of AI and the “downstream harms” of a breakup suggests a cautious approach that may be replicated in other pending cases against giants like Meta, Amazon, and Apple.
For the Biden administration, which has made tech accountability a cornerstone of its policy, the decision is a disappointment. While the DOJ secured some concessions, the failure to achieve its primary goal of a breakup will likely embolden Big Tech companies in their fights against government regulation, both in the US and abroad.
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