WASHINGTON, August 6, 2024 – A federal judge ruled that Google violated U.S. antitrust law by maintaining a monopoly in the search and advertising markets, marking a significant victory for the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Google has said it would appeal.
The ruling.
In his decision, Judge Amit Mehta found that Google has leveraged its dominance to stifle competition, a practice that has breached Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
“After carefully considering and weighing the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta wrote in the ruling.
This finding aligns with the DOJ’s argument that Google has illegally monopolized the online search market, although the judge did not fully agree with all aspects of the government’s case. For instance, he rejected claims that Google monopolizes a specific part of the advertising market.
The ruling focuses on Google’s dominance in “general search services” and “general search text advertising.” These findings could pave the way for significant changes in Google’s business practices, as the next phase of the proceedings will determine possible remedies, which could range from imposing business restrictions to the breakup of Google’s search business.
Google has announced its intention to appeal the decision.
The DOJ’s antitrust chief, Jonathan Kanter, hailed the ruling as a landmark decision that holds Google accountable and paves the way for future innovation.
The decision is the first in a wave of antitrust cases brought by the U.S. government against tech giants, with similar lawsuits pending against companies like Amazon, Apple, and Meta.
