Online, Google has extraordinary dominance. In addition to Google Search, Google Maps and its Chrome browser, Google also owns YouTube and Android as well as hugely profitable advertising platforms. It thus has a monopolistic position, dominating the digital world to an extent that’s harmful to digital pluralism – and a threat to democracy itself.
Like the US, the EU is now considering measures to tackle a problem that has long gone unresolved – by forcing Google to hive off and sell parts of its business. This is the way to break Google’s monopolistic hold − and effectively curtail the company’s power.
Dear Commissioner Ribera,
No tech firm should have a monopoly like Google has in search engines and in online advertising. The European Commission has already determined that Google has been abusing its position. Now it’s time to back that judgment up with effective action. There’s only one long-term solution – to break up Google.
As the EU’s competition regulator, the European Commission can break up Google to effectively combat its monopolistic power.
As Commissioner for Competitiveness, I call on you to:
-> Force Google to sell off parts of its business − so that the firm’s monopolistic power can be successfully curtailed.
Yours sincerely,
The petition is supported by
Algorithmwatch, Balanced Economy Project, Digitalcourage, Goliathwatch, Open Markets Institute, taxmenow
Background information
Does Google really need to be broken up?
Google has a monopoly in various areas and has been abusing its power for many years. It puts other firms, publishing houses and media outlets at a disadvantage, demanding inflated fees for online advertising. Google has thus been able to secure an excessively large share of the online advertising market. This has damaging consequences both for media outlets, which are a key part of our democracy, and for us as consumers. By using exclusive agreements and buying up smaller firms, Google has weakened competitors and strengthen its own position.
Up to now, competition authorities have mostly responded by imposing fines and conduct requirements, but these measures haven’t diminished Google’s power. The only way to tackle the root of this problem is by breaking the company up into separate parts. In US court cases, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice have demanded that Google sell parts of its business, while the European Commission also believes it would be desirable for the firm’s advertising business to be hived off.
Can the EU break up a US tech firm?
Yes, the European competition regulator, the Directorate-General for Competition, can break up US companies such as Google if they are deemed to be abusing their dominant market position.
The European Commission has already determined that Google is exploiting its position in the online advertising market. In June 2023, it therefore proposed that Google should have to sell off parts of its advertising business, but a final decision on the matter is still outstanding. The Commission should resolve this as swiftly as possible and order such a sale.
Does Google have a monopolistic position?
Google is a tech giant whose products and services – among them Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, the Chrome browser and the Android operating system – shape our everyday lives.
Google is particularly dominant in the field of internet search, with a market share of around 90 per cent. It also has a 72 per cent share of the smartphone operating system market and a 65 per cent share of the browser market. Google thus has a dominant market position in various areas.
Google’s biggest business, however, is advertising, which accounts for 78 per cent of its income. It’s a business that involves exploiting users’ data.
What impact does Google’s monopolistic position have on society?
Google’s monopoly impacts key areas of our democracy: the distribution of information and public discourse. Google alone decides what content appears in search results – and these decisions are not subject to democratic control. This power makes us dangerously reliant on the US tech firm.
Google takes advantage of that reliance, harvesting our data, demanding excessive fees from advertisers and squeezing the income of media companies and publishers. In the process, it is undermining journalism and thus democracy itself, meaning Google’s monopoly comes at a cost to us all. In addition, this reliance provides enormous scope for coercion; after all, were Google to switch off individual services, it would have serious consequences.
Why is there now a good opportunity to break up Google?
In the US, various court cases aiming to force a break-up of Google are currently ongoing; the measures under discussion include forcing Google to hive off its Chrome browser and Android operating system assets. The EU competition authority has also launched a case against Google; it has concluded on multiple occasions that the firm has a dominant market position and proposed that it should have to hive off its advertising business.
There’s never been a better time for action. On the back of the US cases, the European Commission should push for a partial break-up of Google. This should be accompanied by measures ensuring digitalisation will, in future, be more focused on the common good.
Should Amazon and Meta be broken up too?
Google isn’t the only US tech firm dominating their market and exploiting their dominance: in Germany, Amazon controls 60 per cent of the online book trade, Meta has a monopoly in social media, Microsoft is dominant in operating systems, with 72 per cent of the market, and Apple wields huge power as a smartphone manufacturer.
Boasting a problematic combination of economic and political power, these firms set the rules for digital markets and for the public. They, too, should be broken up. In the case of Amazon, we have previously published a legal opinion on the need for such a move.
Are there other tools that can be used to combat the power of Google and co.?
Alongside a break-up of Google, the EU is also putting its faith in statutory regulations such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The act aims to prevent firms from abusing their power over the market but without directly challenging that power. While this is an important step, the only long-term solution for combating these tech giants’ monopolies is to order their break-up.
