'Online Search Exclusive' Will Google Break Up?‥ U.S. Justice Department To Review Proposal To Tribunal

The U.S. Department of Justice is considering dismantling Google, the world's largest search engine company, which lost an anti-trust lawsuit in August.

The U.S. Department of Justice said it was considering proposing to the federal court in Washington, DC, to sell part of its business to mitigate the harm caused by Google's monopoly on the online search market, according to Reuters and others.

The U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing that Google is considering structural solutions to ensure it doesn't have an advantage over its rivals by using Android operating system (OS) and web browser "Chrome."

Google said it was radical and protested, saying, "It will have significant unintended consequences for consumers, companies, and the competitiveness of the United States."

Earlier, a federal court in Washington, D.C., found it illegal for Google to pay $26 billion to smartphone companies such as Apple and Samsung Electronics to make their search engines the default.

The court decided to rule only on whether Google violated the anti-trust law and decide on specific punishments by August next year.

The Justice Department's proposal for solutions, including corporate dissolution, must be accepted by the court.

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to come up with a more detailed proposal by the 20th of next month, and Google can also come up with its own solution by Dec. 20.

If the U.S. Department of Justice actually breaks up Google, it will be the first time in 20 years that it will push for companies that violate the monopoly law.

At the time, the Justice Department tried unsuccessfully to dismantle Microsoft.