[Epoch Times] In a landmark legal decision, a federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by maintaining its monopoly power in the markets for general search services and general search text advertisements.The ruling, issued on Aug. 5 by Judge Amit Mehta, concludes a lengthy legal battle initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of state attorneys general.
Where have we heard that judge's name before?
The case against Google, filed in October 2020, alleged that the tech giant engaged in anti-competitive practices by establishing exclusive agreements with browser developers, mobile device manufacturers, and wireless carriers.
These agreements prohibited partners from pre-installing rival search engines, leading most U.S. devices to come preloaded exclusively with Google, forcing competitors to find alternative ways to reach users.
The court said Google’s conduct allowed the company to charge "supracompetitive prices for general search text ads," enabling it to earn substantial monopoly profits.
Google said in a statement to The Epoch Times that "this decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available.
Boo hoo.
| To be fair, not everyone recognizes Google as the best search engine, just the biggest. |
The case is seen as the most significant antitrust trial of the century.The ruling suggests the possibility of structural relief as a remedy, involving changes to Google’s business operations, such as altering or terminating exclusive agreements that make Google’s search engine the default option.
While the court ruling does not specify breaking up the company, potential remedies will be determined in subsequent proceedings.
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