According to the US judge, Google is officially a monopoly The impact of this ruling will be felt in the tech industry for years to come Pending an appeal, search giant Google could be forced to scale back its operations And as part of that, Google could be forced to sell Android, which would change the entire mobile landscape

The Information categorized the possible ramifications of the DOJ's decision However, the more interesting speculation is that Google will be forced to sell its very popular mobile operating system, Android

Judge Amit Mehta referred to Android's role in perpetuating Google's monopoly on several occasions in the DOJ case Essentially, it forces Samsung and other manufacturers that use this OS to make Google Search an integral part of their devices Since the complaint clearly focuses on Google Search, this is likely where Android will play a role

"Asking Google to sell Android is not just a restructuring of Google, it is a fundamental remaking of the entire mobile industry," Avi Greengart, consumer technology analyst and president of Techsponential, said in a statement to Tom's Guide

Hypothetically, the mobile industry is not a "one-stop shop

Suppose the US government forces Google to get out of Android In that case, Google would not be allowed to form a partnership with the new owner, and the independent company might not have an incentive to promote Google search

Nevertheless, users seem to like using Google to find something online Sure, that may change as OpenAI and other AI chatbots get more involved in search, but for now, Google is still fighting for second place Even if Android moves to an independent company, Google could remain the default search engine

In any case, it would take a major change for the government to come to view Google as operating without monopolistic practices Whether it is making Android an independent company or dismantling the partnership, something is likely to change Ultimately, The appeals process will take a long, long time