The case against Google follows a string of antitrust suits targeting tech giants, including Meta and Apple.
Topline
A federal judge ruled on Monday Google violated antitrust laws in a bid to maintain a monopoly with its search engine—a major loss for Google, capping off the latest antitrust case brought against a U.S. tech giant.Key Facts
D.C.-based Judge Amit Mehta wrote “Google is a monopolist” and “has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” in an opinion siding with the Department of Justice and 11 states.
In his ruling, Mehta stated Google exercises monopoly power over product markets, uses exclusive distribution agreements and charges “supracompetitive prices for general search text ads,” which Mehta argues has led to “anticompetitive behavior.”
The case marks the latest antitrust suit against a U.S. tech conglomerate, and comes less than a year after Google agreed to a $700 million settlement in a separate suit for allegedly forcing app makers to use its payment system on its Play Store marketplace—Apple, Amazon and Facebook parent Meta have also faced antitrust suits in recent years.
