Aug 5, 2024 · judicial
Federal judge rules Google holds illegal monopoly in search antitrust verdict
US District Judge Amit Mehta rules that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in the general search and search advertising markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The ruling finds that Google spent approximately $26.3 billion in 2021 paying Apple, Mozilla, and others to be the default search engine on their devices, effectively foreclosing competition. The Biden DOJ, which filed the case in 2020 and pressed it aggressively, calls it a victory for consumers and competition. It is the most significant antitrust ruling against a major technology company since Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson found Microsoft liable in 2000. A remedies trial is ordered to determine what structural or behavioral changes Google must make.
Sep 12, 2023 · judicial
DOJ wins Google search monopoly ruling judge finds Google illegally maintained monopoly in search
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rules that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in the general search and search text advertising markets, in the most significant antitrust ruling against a tech company since the Microsoft case in 2001. The DOJ had argued that Google's practice of paying billions to Apple, Samsung, and other device makers to be the default search engine shut out competition. Google paid $12 billion to Apple alone in 2019 to maintain its default status. The ruling opens a remedies phase that could result in Google being forced to divest its Chrome browser or Android operating system.
