Google loses antitrust lawsuit – US judge finds company a monopoly

A U.S. federal judge accused Google of using its dominance in the internet search engine space to stifle competition and prevent innovation. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday came nearly a year after the Justice Department and Google began a standoff in the largest U.S. antitrust dispute in 25 years.

Evidence at the trial included testimony from executives at Google, Microsoft and Apple. “After carefully reviewing and weighing the testimony and evidence, the court concludes that Google is a monopoly and that it is acting as if it were designed to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta said in his ruling.

Google may appeal

The ruling is a serious setback for Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc. Google’s website explains the popularity of its search engine by saying users want a search engine so good that it has become synonymous with internet search. The U.S. government’s lawsuit accuses Google of engaging in harassment and routinely suppressing competition to protect its search engine. Justice Department lawyers say Google’s monopoly allows the company to charge very high prices to advertising companies.

Google is likely to appeal the ruling. The case could eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Justice Department is set to begin a trial in Virginia in September, accusing Google of using its advertising technology to run an illegal monopoly.

DPA/Output

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