Various publications and commentators have offered a range ofpredictions of the end of Google, asearch engine established in 1998.
In 2007, a writer forWired shared a rumor thatWikipedia's co-founderJimmy Wales had a secret project to end Google.[1] A 2008 article on potential ends of Google noted at that time that Google had 61 percent of traffic while its major competitors Yahoo and Microsoft could catch up.[2] At the 2008 launch ofCuil, various writers described how this search engine would end Google.[3][4][5] In 2008, media commentatorJeff Jarvis said that he saw no competitor for Google except a trend of openness.[6] In 2009, a writer forThe Daily Beast speculated thatWolfram Alpha would out compete Google as a search engine.[7]
Writers forForbes have speculated on various situations which could end Google. In 2011, a writer described howSiri would end Google.[8] In 2012, a writer described thatnationalization of digital products could end Google.[9] Another writer in 2012 argued that Google opposed theStop Online Piracy Act by participating inprotests against SOPA and PIPA because the company felt an existential threat to its business model in that law's view of digital property rights.[10]
The United States Government is trying to break up Google. In August 2025, a judge ruled that Google had violated antitrust laws to maintain its dominance in online search, and the government's potential solution involves breaking Google apart. Judge Amit P. Mehta, seeks to separate the company's popular web browser, Chrome, as reported by The New York Times. Chrome is a bigger target, as it more directly directs users to Google search, making it more challenging for other search engines to establish a foothold.
Regardless of the outcome, the trial reflects growing pressure to rethink how information flows online — and as AI reshapes search, it could mark the end of Google’s dominance
- IDC analyst Matt Eastwood[11]
