Federal Judge Rules Google Maintains Illegal Monopoly in Internet Search
A federal judge from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that Google violated U.S. antitrust law by maintaining a monopoly in the online search market. Judge Amit Mehta concurred with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday, finding that Google holds a monopoly in “general search services” and the general search text ads market.
“After carefully considering and weighing the witness testimony and evidence, the court reached the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” the ruling stated.
The court found Google in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act, noting that Google controls about 90 percent of the online search market and 95 percent of the search market on smartphones. This decision caps a years-long case that began when the DOJ sued Google in 2020, marking the first time in a generation that the U.S. government accused a major corporation of an illegal monopoly.
DOJ Antitrust Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter hailed the landmark decision, stating it holds Google accountable and paves the path for innovation while protecting access to information for all Americans.
In response, Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, announced the company’s intention to appeal Mehta’s ruling. He asserted that the decision acknowledged Google as offering the best search engine but concluded that the company should not make it easily available. “As this process continues, we will remain focused on making products that people find helpful and easy to use,” Walker said.
The final outcome for Google will be determined in the next phase of proceedings, which could include potential remedies such as a breakup of Google’s parent company, Alphabet. The next antitrust trial between the DOJ and Google, set to start on Sept. 9 in Virginia, will focus on whether Google has illegally monopolized advertising technology.
Meanwhile, other tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Meta are also facing monopolization lawsuits from the U.S. government.
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