A U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google illegally monopolized the online search and advertising markets over the past decade, holding a monopoly in general search services and general search text advertising, violating antitrust laws.
The judge found that Google locked up the search market through exclusive agreements with companies like Apple, handset makers, mobile carriers, browser developers, and disadvantaged Microsoft in the ads market, securing agreements to be the default search engine, allegedly spending billions annually.
The ruling is considered a major victory for the antitrust fight against tech giants, the first major case since the Microsoft case, and a win for consumers and a free Internet, according to the Justice Department and White House.
A separate trial is planned to determine remedies, with the DOJ's antitrust chief supporting structural changes and limits on anticompetitive conduct in emerging technologies like AI.
Google plans to appeal, stating they focus on creating helpful products. Appeals could prolong the case.
The ruling stems from a 2020 case filed by the DOJ and 11 states, alleging Google's practices maintained its search engine monopoly, and represents a rebuke of Google's dominant position. The judge criticized Google's policy of deleting chat messages.
The DOJ argued Google conducted nearly 90% of web searches, which Google denied, asserting users choose its search engine for its usefulness. DuckDuckGo applauded the decision.
The DOJ and 38 states filed separate antitrust suits against Google in 2020, with this trial addressing search violations, while another lawsuit is planned on Google's advertising practices.
The decision is the first in a wave of tech monopoly cases, with implications for other pending cases, including the DOJ's upcoming trial against Google on digital advertising technology. Rivals accuse Google of monopolistic behavior, while Google defends its success as due to superior quality.
Judge Mehta referred to Google as a "monopolist" exercising monopoly power over product markets, potentially impacting its billions in annual search spending. Specific remedies were not outlined.
Google also faces antitrust scrutiny in other jurisdictions like the EU, with a separate case on its advertising technology set for trial in September.
The ruling is part of a broader U.S. antitrust effort against Big Tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon, which also face lawsuits for anti-competitive behavior, following a $700 million settlement Google agreed to last year.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: PBS, Newsweek, Sky News, BBC, The New York Times, Axios, Wired, CBS News, The Guardian, CNBC, The Washington Post, The Independent, Forbes, CNN, MarketWatch, Ars Technica, Politico, The Verge.