Too much monopolistic power held by too few
A U.S. judge has ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in online searches and related advertising. The lawsuit, brought by the Department of Justice, charged Google with controlling around 90% of the online search market.
It was reportedly noted by the judge that Google’s billions of dollars in investments to become the default search engine on smartphones and browsers could be anticompetitive.
The decision, issued on Monday 5th August 2024, could potentially change how tech giants operate.
It was reported that in his extensive 277-page decision, Judge Mehta remarked, “Google has acted as a monopolist and engaged in anticompetitive practices to maintain its monopoly.”
This represents a significant victory for federal antitrust enforcers who have pursued similar cases against other leading technology companies for illegal monopolistic behaviours.
Companies like Meta Platforms, which operate Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as companies like Amazon and Apple., have also faced lawsuits from federal regulators.
The judgment comes after a 10-week trial where it was argued that Google’s substantial payments to remain the primary search engine have impeded the competition’s ability to challenge effectively.
This is a seismic shift in the way search engines and advertising may operate in the future. Already with the advent of AI, search engines look and feel different.
Recently, OpenAI launched ‘SearchGPT’ – and Microsoft have named it a competitor in the world of search engines.
Times are changing.
