The scrutiny began with a case unrelated to Google's chief function, search. Instead, Google got the DOJ's attention by scanning out-of-print (but still copyright-protected) books for its Google Books service.
That original case established the DOJ's main concern: Can Google's dominance of the search-engine market give them undue control over other areas of business?
In the case of Google Books, the DOJ was concerned enough to pursue antitrust action. That case began in 2005 and will get a final ruling in early October of this year.
None of this has loosened Google's grip on the search market, where it still attracts more than 60 percent of all queries. But tech experts predict that this new attitude from the DOJ will make life in the future a lot more complicated for one of the world's signature tech companies.
"Such scrutiny means that almost every product launch will be examined for signs that Google is abusing its dominant search position by moving to control other areas of the tech world," tech analyst Tom Krazit said. "You can double that level of scrutiny for any potential acquisition. And it also means the company will need to aggressively court government officials, who are getting an earful from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and AT&T about what a bully Google has become."
For adult, any erosion of Google's dominance over search is potentially a good thing because of the overall adult-friendliness of its main rival, Bing. The Microsoft search engine includes a powerful video search function, as well as a dedicated adult domain at Explicit.Bing.net.