We’ve all tried it at least once. Whether it was because a program set Bing as the default search engine, forcing us to fiddle around for a few minutes to reset everything, or because we wanted to feel more green with Ecosia, which plants trees for every search, we’ve all tried to detach ourselves from Google, often without success. But things might change soon.
On Monday, a U.S. federal judge ruled that Google abused its dominant position in the online search sector to violate competition law and prevent other companies from developing their own technology. Judge Amit P. Mehta concluded that Google acted illegally to maintain its monopoly.
The ruling, contained in a 277-page document, is a historic turning point that could have significant repercussions across the entire tech sector. Google will almost certainly appeal, and the case could reach the Supreme Court. However, if the ruling is upheld, the company might be forced to significantly change the way its search engine operates.
The Department of Justice, which had been preparing the case for over three years, argued that Google abused its monopoly in online search to eliminate competition and prevent possible innovations beneficial to consumers. The trial against Google, which began in September 2023, was the first of its kind since 1998, when the U.S. government took Microsoft to court.
According to the allegations, Google consolidated its dominance not only by offering a good service but also through illegal methods. The company allegedly paid billions of dollars to phone manufacturers to be the default search engine on their devices, thus stifling competition. According to the Associated Press, the case portrayed Google as a “tech bully” that exploited its position to maintain an unfair advantage in the online search market. It is estimated that nearly 90% of web searches are conducted using Google.
For the judge, the agreements with smartphone manufacturers were crucial in taking over the sector without leaving room for competition to grow and compete with its search engine. The ruling noted that the company, thanks to its monopoly, was able to charge advertisers much higher prices than the market, guaranteeing itself enormous profits without necessarily improving the quality of its service. Just last year, Google earned around $240 billion from ads.
Experts believe that Judge Mehta’s decision could also have significant repercussions on other tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta, who are also under scrutiny for possible antitrust violations.
