US pushes Apple into search and sparks a browser war

Headlines focus on selling Chrome, but the implications are game-changing for publishers, advertisers, AI and the future of copyright...

Months after Google was ruled an illegal search monopolist which bought its dominance, crushed rivals, and hiked prices at a whim, the proposed penalties are known.

The US Department of Justice has given the judge the remedies it wants and launched a countdown to the largest corporate break-up in history.

The ramifications for publishers, advertisers, agencies, and four billion consumers worldwide are immense. It may spark a browser war. It may replace copyright.

But perhaps the most likely ramification is that it will send Apple back to the drawing board to enter into an epic battle over search. It’s been quite a war already!

Google is furious, saying its overreach, and vowing to appeal any adverse ruling for years.

What can’t be denied is that these are the tremors of a megaquake that’ll reshape the digital economy that’s been in the grip of a Google monopoly for two decades.

Google’s already lost antitrust cases over its Play app store, and search.

A third going after ad tech will be dec…