Judge Rules Google Illegally Monopolizes Internet Search: What This Means for the Future of Online Search

 

Various Google logos are displayed on a Google search, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in New York. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, that Google's ubiquitous search engine has been illegally exploiting its dominance to squash competition and stifle innovation in a seismic decision that could shake up the internet and hobble one of the world's best-known companies.

In a landmark decision on Monday, a judge ruled that Google's dominant search engine has been unlawfully leveraging its market power to crush competition and hinder innovation. This pivotal ruling could drastically reshape the internet landscape and impact one of the globe's most renowned companies.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta's highly anticipated verdict follows nearly a year of intense legal battles between the U.S. Justice Department and Google, marking the country's most significant antitrust case in over 25 years.

Judge Mehta's extensive 277-page ruling, issued three months after closing arguments, is based on a thorough review of evidence and testimony from top executives at Google, Microsoft, and Apple during the 10-week trial last year. "After carefully considering the witness testimony and evidence, the court concludes: Google is a monopolist and has acted to maintain its monopoly," Mehta stated, highlighting Google's overwhelming 89.2% share of the general search market, which jumps to 94.9% on mobile devices.

This ruling is a significant blow to Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc., which argued that its success is driven by consumer preference for a superior search engine. Currently, Google's search engine handles an estimated 8.5 billion daily queries globally, nearly doubling its volume from 12 years ago, according to a BOND investment firm study.

Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, announced plans to appeal Mehta’s findings, asserting, “This decision acknowledges that Google provides the best search engine but concludes that we shouldn't make it easily accessible.”

For now, the decision is a major victory for antitrust regulators at the Justice Department, which filed the lawsuit nearly four years ago during Donald Trump’s presidency and has intensified efforts to curb Big Tech's power under President Joe Biden’s administration. "This is a historic win for the American people," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. "No company, no matter how large or influential, is above the law."

The Justice Department portrayed

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