"We're not done yet"! After losing the case, the U.S. Department of Justice vows to continue pushing for the breakup of Google

Despite Google temporarily avoiding the most severe breakup measures in the latest ruling, the U.S. Department of Justice has made it clear that it will not stop there, vowing to continue its antitrust actions against large tech companies.

In a ruling on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected the Justice Department's request to break up Google, only requiring Google not to enter into exclusive distribution agreements and to enhance search data sharing. In response, Gail Slater, head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, stated, "We're not done yet," emphasizing the historical significance of the case and that the department will continue to pursue antitrust lawsuits against Google and other tech giants.

The latest ruling is a significant victory for Google, and Wall Street reacted positively, believing that the most severe breakup measures have been temporarily avoided. However, the strong statements from the Justice Department and related officials have shattered expectations that the government might relax its regulatory stance.

Internal Government Divisions on Tech Regulation, Policy Direction Under Scrutiny

Although the Trump administration publicly claims to be cracking down on the monopolistic behavior of tech giants, there are significant internal divisions regarding the intensity and methods of regulation.

The Justice Department recently fired two senior antitrust enforcement officials, one of whom accused Justice Secretary Pam Bondi's assistant of being influenced by industry lobbying in handling tech merger cases. Additionally, both Trump and Vice President Pence have publicly supported breaking up Google, but the government is also promoting relief and deregulation for the tech industry.

Analysts point out that this policy contradiction makes it difficult for the market to gauge the future direction of regulation. Some investors are concerned that the government may adjust its stance on the tech industry based on political and economic interests, increasing uncertainty in the sector.

Intensified Lobbying by Large Tech Companies, Litigation and Compliance Pressures Persist

Tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Meta continue to ramp up their lobbying efforts with the government.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg have all maintained close interactions with the Trump administration and provided donations during the presidential inauguration. Apple CEO Tim Cook also recently met with Trump, securing a promise for tariff reductions and announcing additional investments in the U.S.

Despite this, Apple still faces antitrust lawsuits from the Justice Department accusing it of abusing its dominant position in the smartphone market. Meta is awaiting a ruling in the FTC's antitrust case. In addition to this case, Google will also face a lawsuit this month in Virginia regarding the breakup of its digital advertising business. Tech companies are seeking policy support on one hand while having to cope with ongoing compliance and litigation pressures on the other