A federal judge ruled Monday that Google maintains a monopoly over online search and advertising, violating antitrust laws. “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” wrote U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
The ruling supports the Justice Department and state attorneys general who sued Google in 2020, finding the company holds monopoly power in search services and search text ads. Mehta highlighted Google’s exclusive agreements with partners like Apple, which make it the default search engine on their devices, covering about half of all U.S. queries.
These agreements prevent rivals from competing effectively and reduce incentives to invest and innovate in search. They also allow Google to raise text ad prices without competitive constraints, fueling its revenue growth and stable profits.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized, “No company is above the law.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar called the ruling a “huge victory for the American people,” highlighting the importance of enforcing antitrust laws.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, announced plans to appeal, stating, “We appreciate the Court’s finding that Google is the industry’s highest quality search engine… We plan to appeal.”
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