A historic court ruling could change the internet as we know it.
A federal judge found Monday that Google’s search business constitutes an illegal monopoly, a landmark ruling and major victory for the Biden administration as it seeks to clamp down on Big Tech. The decision has the potential to bring major changes to the internet — and sends a signal that no company is too big to regulate.
US District Judge Amit Mehta found that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.” That involved protecting its dominance in the search engine market; Mehta focused particularly on the fact that Google signed contracts with companies, including Apple, to become the default search engine on their devices. Google currently enjoys a nearly 90 percent share overall and an almost 95 percent share on mobile devices.
Google has vowed to appeal the ruling, which it has framed as an attempt to make it harder for consumers to access a search engine they prefer. The appeals process could take years to play out, and Judge Mehta has yet to levy specific penalties against Google, which will be decided following a hearing in September.
While it may be true that many consumers prefer Google over any currently available alternative, should the ruling stand, it may allow a competitor to devise a better product, and one that actually has a real chance to penetrate the market. And that could mean more search options for consumers.
“If the door is locked, you can’t get consumers,” said Fiona Scott Morton, a professor at Yale School of Management and former chief economist at the Justice Department’s antitrust division. “The door isn’t locked anymore. The door is open [to] a whole industry of innovators who have good ideas, and then we would see a change in competition going forward.
