What does the Google monopoly ruling in the US mean for search engines?

LONDON: A US judge has ruled that Google illegally used its dominant position in the search engine market to restrict competition.

The case was seen as a potentially watershed moment for Google and the technology sector, given the company’s control over the search engine and its related advertising business.

Let’s take a closer look at this case and what it could mean for Google and the industry as a whole.

What happened?

In 2020, Google was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice. The department accused the tech giant of abusing its dominant position in online search and advertising to limit competition and harm consumers.

At trial, lawyers argued that Google’s monopoly allowed the company to charge advertisers artificially high prices while also allowing it the luxury of having more time and money to invest in improving its search engine, which negatively impacted consumers.

Google, for its part, has rejected the suggestions, arguing that consumers traditionally switch search engines when they are unhappy with the results – pointing to the fact that in the 1990s, before Google came along, Yahoo dominated search.

Ultimately, however, after months of analyzing the evidence, the judge ruled that Google had violated U.S. antitrust law in its conduct.

What did the judge say?

In his decision, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said Google was a “monopolist” that “acted like a monopolist to maintain its monopoly.”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the “victory over Google is a historic victory for the American people.”

“No company, no matter how large or influential, is above the law. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws,” he said.

The tech giant is widely expected to appeal the decision, a case that could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

What does this decision mean for Google and the broader technology sector?

This is the most important question that has arisen from this case.

The judge’s decision begins the next legal phase, which will determine what changes or penalties should be imposed on Google to protect competition.

The outcome of the decision could have a huge impact on the tech sector, with changes that could be as drastic as requiring the company to dismantle parts of its internet empire or stop spending huge sums of money each year to ensure Google is the default search engine on iPhones and other devices.

Or a judge could find that only more modest changes are needed to protect competition and consumers, leaving Google relatively untouched.

Any changes introduced will come at a critical time for the sector, as Google battles Microsoft and others for leadership in an industry entering the age of artificial intelligence. – PA Media/dpa