Judge Amit P. Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that Google illegally monopolized the search engine market. In a detailed 286-page ruling, it was found that Google paid $26 billion to smartphone and web browser owners to ensure its search engine was the default option, thus hindering competitors from gaining market share.
Judge Mehta also determined that while Google does not hold a monopoly in the market for search engine advertising—citing the rise of Amazon and Walmart’s advertising platforms—Google does maintain a monopoly over search text ads, which are displayed at the top of search results pages.
This ruling marks the first time in over two decades that a US District Court has found a tech company guilty of such antitrust violations. The court has not yet announced specific remedies, but potential actions could include requiring Google to provide Android users in the US with the option to choose a default search engine when setting up a new device.
Other possible remedies might involve separating Google’s search business from other Alphabet products like Android or Chrome, potentially leading to the largest forced breakup of a US company since AT&T in 1984.
The ruling revealed that Google systematically paid companies like Samsung and Apple to prioritize its search engine, significantly boosting Google’s revenue to over $300 billion, primarily from search engine ads. This practice also increased Google’s market share from 80% in 2009 to 90% in 2020.
In response, Google announced plans to appeal the decision, asserting that its success is due to the preference for its “superior products.”
Source: Gsmarena
