What does Google’s US monopoly decision mean for the search engine?

Google illegally exploited its dominance in the search engine market to stifle competition, a US judge has ruled.

The case has been seen as a potentially seismic moment for Google and the technology sector, given its control over search and related advertising businesses.

Here’s a closer look at the case and what it could mean for Google and the industry at large.

– What happened?

In 2020, Google was sued by the US Department of Justice, which alleged that the tech giant abused its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and harm consumers.

During the case, lawyers argued that Google’s monopoly allowed it to charge advertisers artificially high prices while also enjoying the luxury of having more time and money to invest in improving its search engine, an approach that impacted consumers. .

For its part, Google rejected these suggestions, arguing that consumers have historically switched search engines when they are dissatisfied with results – highlighting how Yahoo had already dominated search in the 1990s, before Google emerged.

But ultimately, after several months of reviewing the evidence, the judge ruled that Google had violated US antitrust laws in the way it operated.

– What did the judge say?

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said Google was a “monopolist” that “acted as such to maintain its monopoly.”

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the “victory against Google is a historic victory for the American people.”

“No company, no matter how big or influential, is above the law. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws,” he said.

The technology giant is expected to appeal the decision, and the case could take it all the way to the US Supreme Court.

– What does the decision mean for Google and the technology sector in general?

This is the biggest question that arises from the case.

The judge’s decision opens another legal phase where it must be decided which changes or penalties should be imposed on Google to protect competition.

The outcome of this decision could have a huge impact on the technology sector, as the changes could be as drastic as asking the company to dismantle parts of its online empire or stopping it from spending huge sums of money every year to ensure that Google search is the main solution. default search engine on iPhone and other devices.

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Or the judge could rule that only more modest changes are needed to protect competition and consumers, leaving Google relatively unscathed.

Any imposed changes would come at a critical time for the industry, as Google battles Microsoft and others to lead the industry as it enters the AI ​​era.