“Break up big tech!” has been the cry in recent times, as privacy and data-use concerns — among others — have caused both the public at large and politicians to cast a skeptical eye toward the major tech firms. (Bankers are surely relieved at this current reprieve from being Public Enemy Number 1.)

Now a group of states has taken the next step of preparing to formally move forward in a joint antitrust investigation of Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and potentially others. This follows on the Department of Justice’s earlier move toward an antitrust probe of its own. 

Antitrust cases, however, can take years to resolve, and, as we learned from the case of Microsoft in the 90s, may not even end with a true “breaking up” of the companies in question. This is only the beginning of a long road that most likely will span multiple presidential administrations.