Google violated antitrust laws to dominate online search, rules US judge

05 August 2024 , 20:19

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Google violated antitrust laws to dominate online search, rules US judge

Ruling states ‘Google is a monopolist’ in decision that could have major implications for how people use the internet

Google violated antitrust laws as it built an internet search empire, a federal judge ruled on Monday in a decision that could have major implications for the way people interact with the internet.

Judge Amit Mehta found that Google violated section 2 of the Sherman Act, a US antitrust law. His decision states that Google maintained a monopoly over search services and advertising. 

“After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” the ruling states.

The ruling is one of the largest antitrust decisions in decades, capping off a case that pit the justice department against one of the world’s most valuable companies. It was also part of a broader push in recent years from the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, as well as European regulators, to scrutinize big tech companies for allegedly monopolistic practices.

James Smith