Google has a 'China Warning' for America on breaking up the company

Google returned to the court Monday (April 21) to defend its business practices in a high-stakes antitrust remedies trial, arguing that its integrity as a company is vital for the U.S. national security and technological dominance in the global artificial intelligence race against China. The trial follows an August ruling by Judge Amit Mehta, who found Google guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly in internet search—the most significant antitrust decision in tech since the Microsoft case over two decades ago.

The Justice Department (DOJ) is pushing for severe penalties, including the divestiture of Google’s Chrome browser and forcing the company to share its search data with competitors. Google, however, warns that such measures would undermine U.S. innovation at a critical moment. In a blog post, Google highlighted China’s DeepSeek as a rising AI rival, asserting that the DOJ’s proposals would “hamstring” its ability to compete. “We’re in a fiercely competitive global race with China,” wrote Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs. “Government overreach would hold back American breakthroughs.”

The trial, set to conclude on May 9, will determine the consequences of Google’s monopoly verdict. The DOJ argues that Google’s dominance stifles competition, with testimony expected from industry leaders like Nick Turley of ChatGPT and Dmitry Shevelenko of Perplexity. Perplexity, in a blog post, advocated for more consumer choice in search options rather than a breakup, stating, “Consumers deserve the best products, not just the ones that pay the most.”

Google defends Chrome as a tool for open web access, warning that sharing search data could raise cybersecurity risks and device costs while jeopardling national security concerns. The company also plans to highlight its contributions to AI, including the influential “Transformers” paper, which underpins technologies like ChatGPT and Anthropic.

As the Trump administration continues antitrust efforts inherited from the Biden era, Google faces additional pressure after losing a separate case last week over illegal monopolies in online advertising. Judge Mehta is expected to rule in August, with Google already planning an appeal. “DOJ’s proposals go miles beyond the court’s decision and would hurt America’s consumers, economy, and technological leadership,” Mulholland said.

The outcome of the three-week trial could reshape the tech industry and America’s position in the global tech race.