John Lopatka on the Proposed Google Breakup

“Tech companies like Google are particularly vulnerable due to their highly integrated nature. Their components are deeply interconnected, making clean separation nearly impossible without damaging the whole organization. Google’s dominant position stems primarily from the inherent economics of search and search advertising.

“A conduct remedy would be more appropriate and directly address the anticompetitive behavior. For instance, the court could prohibit Google from purchasing default search engine status from so many distributors that competitors are foreclosed from the market. While this would impact those benefiting from Google’s payments now, some significant remedy is necessary given the liability ruling.

“Importantly, antitrust enforcers have consistently underestimated the pace of technological innovation. Google’s search and advertising business already faces significant pressure from AI developments. This poses the greatest threat to Google’s dominance, making any proposed remedies potentially obsolete shortly after implementation.