SEPARATION IS POSSIBLE UNDER TRUMP

Much of this depends on whether the DOJ’s efforts survive under a President Donald Trump. When Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait recently asked whether Google should be broken up, the then-candidate replied, “Look, Google has a lot of power. I felt bad…”

“Would you tear them apart?

“I would do something,” Trump replied. “They’ve become such a powerhouse. How they became such a power is really up for debate. At the same time, it’s a very dangerous thing because we want to have great companies. We don’t want China to have these companies. Right now, China is afraid of Google.”

Trump may not be sure where he stands, but a split is by no means out of the question. Not only was the DOJ search filed at the end of Trump’s last term, but incoming Vice President JD Vance has publicly said Google should be broken up.

Elon Musk, now a key player in the Trump administration, has long worried about the company’s tightening grip on artificial intelligence. He also has a personal interest in the matter, as the founder of a new artificial intelligence company and chief executive and “technoking” of Tesla, for which technology is an integral part.

There’s a good chance, in other words, that the DOJ’s efforts will prevail — albeit slowly. The court is holding hearings on the proposed split in April 2025, and US Judge Amit Mehta is expected to rule by August. Google will almost certainly appeal, and the process could take years.

However, if history is any guide, starting with a divorce from Chrome isn’t just strategic. It’s the opening move in what could eventually become AT&T’s biggest antitrust showdown.