(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a tremendous legal blow to a Big Tech giant, a federal judge declared on Monday that Google has engaged in unlawful practices by exploiting its search-engine supremacy to suppress competitors.
This pivotal ruling by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, resulting from allegations by the Department of Justice alongside a group of state attorneys general in 2020, could profoundly affect the American information consumption landscape, National Review notes in a report.
US District Judge Amit Mehta labeled Google a “monopolist,” stating that it has deliberately acted to preserve its monopolistic status.
For instance, in 2021, Google expended $26.3 billion to ensure its search engine remained the default on smartphones and browsers.
Judge Mehta emphasized the value of being the default search engine, noting, “The default is extremely valuable real estate.”
He elaborated that while new entrants of comparable quality might seek to replace Google upon the expiry of such agreements, they would only be competitive if they could afford to disburse billions in revenue sharing to their partners and compensate them for any potential revenue deficits.
“Google, of course, recognizes that losing defaults would dramatically impact its bottom line. For instance, Google has projected that losing the Safari default would result in a significant drop in queries and billions of dollars in lost revenues,” Mehta added.
The expectation is that Google will challenge this decision in the US District Court of Appeal for the DC Circuit.
This case marks the most significant antitrust lawsuit since the early 2000s when the DOJ charged Microsoft with monopolizing the web browser market through Internet Explorer.
In reaction to the judgment, trade association NetChoice voiced concerns about the detrimental effects on American consumers, who largely favor Google’s services.
“Today’s ruling against Google will do nothing to help American consumers, and they are the real losers of this decision. By targeting and punishing standard business arrangements, the ruling stifles innovation and hinders the ability of American companies to compete globally,” stated Carl Szabo, the Vice President and General Counsel of NetChoice.
Furthermore, Google has faced recent criticisms from Republican legislators who allege that the company’s search algorithms selectively exclude conservative perspectives.
For instance, an omission was acknowledged during a congressional testimony by Google, where it was admitted that “predictions for queries about the assassination attempt against former President [Donald] Trump” “should have appeared but didn’t.”
The search engine was criticized for “failing to provide relevant results about the attempt on President Trump’s life,” according to Republican statements.
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