“Google's Search Dominance Dealt a Blow by US Judge”
A federal judge in the US has ruled that Google holds an illegal monopoly in online search, delivering a major victory for antitrust regulators pursuing Big Tech giants. According to the judgement, Google exploited its market dominance to eliminate competition and was responsible for creating an illegal monopoly as the default search engine used by billions worldwide.
The case, filed during the previous administration, argued Google secured over 90% of search traffic by spending massive amounts to ensure its engine was pre-installed and set as the default on devices. The judge observed Google paid partners upwards of billions of dollars annually solely to retain this “extremely valuable real estate” and prevent any new competitor from gaining traction, even if they offered superior quality. Losing default placement on browsers or devices would result in billions in lost ad revenues for Google, highlighting its dependency on this strategy to maintain dominance.
The judgement paves the way for a second trial to explore potential remedies, including a forced breakup of Google's parent company Alphabet to separate the search business. It also marks an important win for regulators pursuing antitrust action against big tech giants that control key online markets and services. The politically charged case now moves to appeals that could stretch for years. However, the initial decision already deals a blow to Google's long-held search supremacy and could reshape the digital landscape.
