I. Introduction
In the vast landscape of technology, Google stands out as a global giant, operating the world’s largest search engine, Google Search. The sheer influence and market power of this tech behemoth has sparked debates over whether Google qualifies as a natural monopoly, which would mean that it could be subjected to ex-ante, utility-like regulation combined with separation. This contribution delves into the ongoing discourse surrounding Google’s classification as a natural monopoly, analyzing contrasting perspectives, exploring potential regulatory approaches, and analyzing their impact on enforcement. The argument built below leans on an in-depth literature review to offer insights into the complex realm of regulating a tech giant like Google. Finally, for its analysis, this contribution focusses on Google Search as it is Google’s main service and the debate on the classification of Google as a natural monopoly has been related to this service specifically.
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