Judge Amit P. Mehta Rules Google as Illegal Monopoly in Search Market

Aug 7, 2024, 02:22 PM

A federal judge has ruled that Google has illegally maintained a monopoly in the online search market. The ruling found that Google used anti-competitive practices, including contracts with companies like Apple, to secure its dominance. Google handles around 90% of search queries in America, and it pays significant sums, approximately $20 billion annually, to phone-makers and browser developers to be the default search engine. U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta's decision marks a significant victory for U.S. antitrust regulators and could lead to major changes in the tech industry. The case, brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, highlights Google's use of its market power to stifle competition.