The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly considering taking significant action against Alphabet, Google’s parent company, following a judge’s ruling that Google violated antitrust laws. Among the possibilities being explored is the forced separation of at least one of Alphabet’s key units.

While it’s uncertain which units could be targeted, three have been highlighted as possibilities:

• Chrome: Google’s web browser. Despite its widespread use, this seems an unlikely candidate for a breakup, as web browsers aren’t typically big money-makers.
• Android: Google’s popular mobile operating system.
• Google Ads: The real cash cow. This platform generates billions in search and advertising revenue each quarter. (It’s worth noting that some sources, like Bloomberg, mistakenly referred to it as “AdWords,” a name that hasn’t been used since 2018.)

The breakup of Alphabet’s Google may seem far-fetched, but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. A similar scenario nearly played out with Microsoft about 25 years ago, and while they avoided it, the tech landscape is different today. If such a breakup were to occur, it would undoubtedly have a significant impact on search marketers. The extent of that impact on SEO and ad strategies remains to be seen, but it’s something worth keeping on your radar.

The U.S. government is also considering some less drastic measures:

• Restricting default search agreements: This could include prohibiting deals like the $19 billion Google paid Apple to be the default search engine on its devices.
• Data sharing: Google might be forced to share more data with competitors.
• AI product limitations: There could be efforts to prevent Google from gaining an unfair advantage in the rapidly growing AI space.

What about YouTube?

Interestingly, YouTube, one of Alphabet’s most lucrative units, wasn’t mentioned in the report. Given that the platform brought in $31.51 billion in advertising revenue in 2023, its omission raises some questions.