Monopolies might make for an exciting family game night, but in the world of free markets, they’re anything but fun. And now, after a four-year antitrust battle with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Google has been found guilty of monopolizing the search market.
This landmark ruling could have massive implications - not just for Google’s business but for marketers everywhere.
Let’s unpack the details of the case and how the ruling could disrupt marketing as we know it.
Google’s Search Monopoly: What Happened?
In August 2024, Google was found guilty of violating U.S. antitrust laws by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the search market. The DOJ discovered that Google’s dominance in search was built through exclusive deals with web browsers, smartphone manufacturers, and wireless carriers to ensure it remained the default search engine for millions of users.
For example, Google reportedly paid Apple $20 billion to secure its spot as the default search engine on Apple devices. As part of the agreement, Apple received 36% of the search advertising revenue generated through its Safari browser.
But wait, there's more! Apple also received a share of the ad revenue made from Google Chrome on iPhone. Google Chrome doesn't even come stock with an iPhone!
Think of the Google Apple deal like this: Google was paying Apple to attend its birthday party and then splitting all the gift money for any plus one Apple brought.
But Google’s legal woes don’t stop there. The tech giant is currently wrapping up another antitrust trial over allegations that it monopolized the digital advertising market as a whole. The trial for this lawsuit is still active, so we’ll keep this post focused on the implications of the search monopoly ruling only.
How the Google Monopoly Could Be Penalized
The court is expected to finalize Google’s penalties by August 2025. In the meantime, the DOJ has proposed a variety of penalties to the court. Here’s a breakdown of what’s being considered and how each could impact marketers:
Penalty 1: Divestment of Chrome Browser
Google’s Chrome browser commands ~67% of the browser market share. If the DOJ forces Google to sell Chrome, it could disrupt how marketers collect and utilize data.
Here's what marketers could expect:
Reduced Access to User Data:
A new Chrome owner might impose stricter privacy policies, potentially limiting or eliminating the collection of data used for targeted advertising. Currently, Google Chrome is the only major browser that still supports third-party cookies, despite repeatedly vowing to phase them out.
Diminished Ad Targeting Precision:
If stricter privacy rules limit data collection in Chrome, marketers would lose the detailed insights third-party cookies provide, making it harder to run precisely targeted ads. However, marketers have already turned to first-party data and alternative channels like retail media networks (RMNs) as privacy-friendly ways to keep their ads relevant and effective.
Ad Standards Overhaul:
If new ownership brings changes to Chrome’s policies, it could impact how ads are displayed, blocked, or even tracked. For example, stricter ad-blocking features or limitations on ad formats might reduce visibility for certain types of ads. This could push marketers to investing in formats less affected by browser restrictions, such as native ads, or exploring alternative platforms altogether.
Penalty 2: Prohibiting Default Search Engine Deals
The DOJ will likely force Google to stop making deals to remain the default search engine on devices. This would come at a bad time for Google, especially as competition from AI search engines and social media heats up.
For marketers, this means:
Diversified SEO Landscape:
With less people using Google as their default, users will migrate to other platforms for search, including AI search engines like Perplexity and SearchGPT. This will require marketers to take a multichannel approach to SEO.
Expanded Paid Search Options:
Users exploring alternative platforms will push advertisers to spread their budgets across channels. Platforms like TikTok, where 64% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials already search for content, could gain prominence.
User Behavior Shifts:
Which platforms users turn to for search is just the tip of the iceberg. Marketers will have to figure out how and when these platforms are used to strategize effectively.
Penalty 3: Content Control for AI Model Training
Another potential penalty involves allowing websites to control how their content is used to train Google’s AI models. While enforcement details are unclear, this could move could potentially serve as a model for AI training standards im the future.
This could present a few tricky considerations for marketers:
More Content Autonomy:
Marketers could gain more granular control over how their content is used by LLMs and AI search. If this happens, it could change how we approach content marketing in the future.
Protection of Organic Traffic:
Marketers may need to evaluate whether appearing in AI search results is worthwhile. With AI overviews and featured snippets fueling “zero-click” searches that lower site traffic, some may opt to block their content from being used to train AI systems.
New Monetization Opportunities:
As seen with other LLMs like OpenAI, Google might begin paying publishers to license content for AI training. With major LLMs facing a shortage of new training data, this could present a lucrative opportunity for publishers.
Life After The Google Monopoly Ruling
The DOJ ruling against Google’s monopoly is a landmark case with far-reaching implications for any business tied to the web. However, the real impact will hinge on the court’s final penalties, which are still to be determined.
With Google expected to fight these rulings every step of the way, the outcome remains uncertain. One thing is certain, though: change is coming. For marketers, it’s critical to stay informed and start preparing for when the gavel falls.
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