Front Burner

The case against Google

Google is facing down the second of two major antitrust cases the U.S. government has brought against it. Will it make a difference? And will Trump keep up the legal heat on Big Tech?
A second antitrust case against Google wrapped up in the United States this week, with similar cases against other major tech companies on the horizon — part of a larger attempt from the American government in recent years to reign in the power of Big Tech. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press)

The second of two major antitrust cases against Google wrapped up this week. Earlier this year, a judge found the company holds an illegal monopoly over the internet search market. Now the U.S. Department of Justice is arguing the same thing about its grip on online advertising. This is all part of a major push of antitrust litigation against tech companies by the U.S. government — Apple, Amazon and Meta are all facing similar cases.

What's behind this push to crack down on these companies now? Would proposed remedies like breaking them up actually make a difference? And will the momentum survive the transition to a second Trump presidency? Paris Marx — author of the tech newsletter Disconnect and host of the podcast Tech Won't Save Us — breaks it all down.

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