Google Search Faces Regulatory Issues, but Subscriptions Are Booming

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Google’s no longer feeling lucky.

The search giant is already facing a federal judge’s ruling that it violated antitrust laws. The Justice Department and Google are scheduled to appear in court today to discuss the next steps for resolving the company’s monopoly.

Some of the proposed resolutions are extreme — like breaking it up — but it’s not Google’s only problem.

The ruling opens up Google to lawsuits alleging that it artificially raised ad prices for years, writes Business Insider’s Hugh Langley. Yelp has already filed one about search referencing, and advertisers could be next.

Ultimately, Google could face a lawsuit seeking more than $100 billion in damages, according to one analyst.

The rationale for the suit goes as follows. A judge ruled that Google suppressed competition in the search market. That meant Google was the only game in town, enabling it to raise its ad prices knowing customers had no other option but to pay up.

But a 12-figure suit isn’t just terrifying for Google. Apple, Meta, and Amazon are also dealing with antitrust suits. The judge’s ruling was bad enough for Google’s Big Tech peers. A hefty lawsuit could foreshadow even more trouble.

It’s not all bad news for Google.

While its search business might be in trouble, another part of the company is red hot.

Subscriptions are becoming a key way Google makes money, writes Hugh. The group, described as “subscriptions, platforms, and devices,” has had better revenue growth than Search the past three quarters.

YouTube, which has become a top streamer and the go-to spot for content creators, is a big part of that segment. But it also includes its storage services and, potentially, AI.

A premium version of Google’s chatbot, Gemini, is being rolled out for $19.99 a month. But AI tools haven’t necessarily been the revenue boon tech giants had been hoping for thus far, so don’t hold your breath.

Still, Google is willing to take the risk. Even with Search’s regulatory issues, advertising remains a volatile business. Investors view subscriptions as a better, stable bet.

News brief

Top headlines

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In other news

What’s happening today

• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosts Ukraine Defense Contract Group meeting in Germany.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases August employment report.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jack Sommers, deputy editor, in London. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.