Who Is Amit Mehta? Gujarat-born US judge shaping future with Google antitrust decision

Since 2014, Amit Priyavadan Mehta, a renowned American lawyer and federal judge, has overseen the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was brought to the United States at the age of one after leaving his hometown of Patan, Gujarat, India in 1971.

He was raised in Reisterstown, Maryland, and continued his education at Georgetown University. In 1993, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics. Two years later, in 1997, he earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law.

On July 8, U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Amit Mehta issued a major and groundbreaking ruling in a major antitrust case involving Google. Then on August 5, 2024, he found that Google illegally maintained a monopoly on internet search, a sign that has persisted throughout the tech industry for years.

Key details of the ruling

Abuse of monopoly: According to Judge Mehta, Google leveraged its 89.2% share of the overall search services in the U.S. market and directed that power “to eliminate competition and maintain monopolies.” In doing so, he noted that Google’s behavior — such as paying billions to the likes of Apple and Samsung to make its search app work by default on target devices — was the hallmark of a monopoly.

Market impact: The decision is seen as a critical moment in U.S. antitrust enforcement that could change the way big tech companies operate. If Mehta’s decision stands, it could have a major impact on how Google does business and inspire lawsuits against other giants like Apple and Amazon in the future.

What Google said: The company said it would appeal the ruling and argued that product innovation, not anti-competitive conduct, had led to its success in the marketplace. In a statement, the company lamented that the decision “mischaracterizes” how it operates and jeopardizes consumer options.

Wider implications

The decision raises important questions for U.S. regulators seeking to rein in Big Tech’s power in one of the most significant antitrust cases in recent years. The case has drawn attention not only for its implications for Google but also for what it could signal about competition as AI evolves. In short, Judge Mehta has issued a monumental ruling against Google—one that could radically reshape the contours of the digital advertising and search markets.

Amit Mehta’s rulings and judicial philosophy continue to shape legal discourse in the United States, especially in cases of high importance and significant policy implications.