• Source:REUTERS
Add as a preferred

Search giant Google violated the antitrust law of the United States to maintain its monopoly in the search engine market, a US judge ruled on Monday in a legal battle involving the tech giant and the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The US District Judge Amit P Mehta also observed that Google spends billions of dollars to foster illegal dominance and emerge as the default search engine worldwide. The response comes as a significant blow to the tech giant and a notable lead for the federal authorities.

'Will Appeal Ruling': Google

The ruling opens the gateway for a second trial to determine possible remedies, which may include the breakup of Google's parent company Alphabet, according to Reuters. This change holds the potential to rejig the online advertising market where the Android maker has enjoyed a strong position for years. For context, Google dominates the online search market with a share of 90 per cent and 95 per cent on smartphones.

Also Read: Google Chrome For Web Finally Gets Google Lens And Other AI Features; Details

"The court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly," Judge Amit Mehta noted. Google said it would appeal the ruling that it acted illegally to maintain its search monopoly. "This decision recognises that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn't be allowed to make it easily available," the tech giant said.

Default Status Is 'Extremely Valuable': US Judge

Mehta added the company paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to ensure its search offering remains a default pick on smartphones and internet browsers via exclusive agreement. The US judge also added that the default status is a "valuable real estate" and the competition may have to pay billions of dollars to become the default choice. "Google has projected that losing the Safari default would result in a significant drop in queries and billions of dollars in lost revenues," he added.

Also Read: US Judge Grills Google, DOJ As Trial Wraps Up In Landmark Antitrust Case That Can Shape 'Future Of Internet'

The latest update in the antitrust ruling drew reactions from the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who marked it as a "victory for the American people". Filed in 2020, the case involving Google was the first in a generation instance where the US government accused a major corporation of illegal monopoly.