Jonathan Kanter and his team recently triumphed in two significant antitrust trials against Google, representing the Department of Justice (DOJ). During a conversation on The Verge’s Decoder show, Kanter elaborated on the implications of these legal battles, asserting that a breakup of Google would ultimately benefit the internet. Kanter’s assertion comes in light of his team winning an antitrust case last year concerning Google’s dominance in search.

The company is currently undergoing a three-week remedies trial stemming from this case. Notably, Kanter’s team also prevailed in a separate case related to Google’s dominance in the advertising sector. There is now a tangible possibility that the U.S. government may force a breakup of Google, which could involve the sale of its Chrome browser as part of the remedies from the court’s decision.

Companies such as OpenAI and DuckDuckGo have expressed interest in acquiring Chrome if it becomes available. In the discussion, Kanter highlighted the critical role of news publishers in maintaining the free flow of information, which is essential for democracy. He articulated that the revenue challenges faced by publishers are largely due to Google’s practices, a view supported by the court’s findings.

Kanter emphasized that Google’s control over ad technology—where it simultaneously manages the buying and selling sides—undermines fair competition, likening it to practices that would be unacceptable in securities and commodities markets. Furthermore, Kanter acknowledged that the landscape of the internet may evolve into a data center for AI training, regardless of the outcome of antitrust actions. He also reminded listeners that even if the company were to be broken up, Google is likely to remain a powerful entity, similar to the ongoing influence of AT&T post-breakup.

Kanter provided thought-provoking insights during the Decoder conversation, which are worth exploring further.