Major Antitrust Case Against Google in the US
US federal judge Amit Mehta today issued his long-awaited rulings in the landmark antitrust case pitting the US Department of Justice against tech giant Google. In his rulings, Judge Mehta said: “After a detailed review of the witnesses and evidence, the court has concluded that Google is a monopoly and has taken various actions to protect that monopoly. This is a violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. “
This decision was the biggest victory the US Justice Department has ever won in an antitrust case. It is the first time Google has lost a major case in the internet search field, and it is said that it may appeal the process after this decision.
Justice Department’s Allegations Against Google
The US Department of Justice has previously filed two antitrust lawsuits against Google, alleging that Google has more than 90 percent dominance of the internet search market and more than 95 percent dominance of the mobile search engine market.
Google Files Antitrust Lawsuit
The US Department of Justice announced on January 24, 2023, that it filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in the Eastern District Court for the District of Virginia, along with attorneys general from the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York , Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia. The statement claimed that the company monopolizes numerous digital ad technology products and uses anti-competitive, exclusionary, and illegal methods to eliminate any threats to its dominance in the industry.
- It has been noted that over the last 15 years, Google has neutralized or eliminated its ad technology rivals through acquisitions.
- The company is said to be using its dominance in the digital advertising market to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products.
- It was emphasized that it reinforced its dominance in the sector by preventing the use of rival products.
It was also recalled that the Ministry of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in 2020 on the grounds that it monopolized search and search advertising.
What is the Sherman Antitrust Act?
The Sherman Act is a law that generally prohibits anticompetitive agreements and unilateral acts that create or attempt to monopolize markets. This law was enacted to protect the basic principles of a free market economy.
