An important ruling was made by a federal judge on Monday, stating that Google has breached US antitrust laws through its search operations. This decision has dealt a significant blow to the tech giant, which could potentially lead to a shift in how millions of Americans access information online and disrupt its long-standing dominance.
Described as a remarkable rebuke of Google’s primary and oldest business, the ruling was issued by the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The company has invested billions in securing exclusive contracts to establish itself as the default search engine on smartphones and web browsers worldwide.
These contracts have enabled Google to prevent potential competitors like Microsoft’s Bing and DuckDuckGo from challenging its position, as argued by the US government in a landmark antitrust lawsuit filed during the previous administration.
US District Judge Amit Mehta highlighted that Google’s significant market power has led to anti-competitive practices that need to be addressed. In his opinion issued on Monday, Mehta stated, “Having thoroughly reviewed the witness testimonies and evidence, the court concludes the following: Google is a monopoly and has acted as one to preserve its monopoly status. It has contravened Section 2 of the Sherman Act.”