U.S. Judge Declares Google a Monopoly, Rules in Favor of Antitrust Laws in Landmark Lawsuit Case
Search Engine Giant, Google faced a major debacle when a US Judge ruled that it had an undue advantage and an online search monopoly. The decision has been hailed by many including the White House which labelled the decision as a – ‘victory for the American people’
The Federal Judge in a ruling on Monday stated that the Search Engine giant violated antitrust laws as it built an internet search empire without any form of competition.
Landmark Ruling as U.S. Judge Finds Google in Violation of Antitrust Laws
Judge Amit Mehta in his ruling stated that Google violated section 2 of the Sherman Act, a US antitrust law. He also observed that Google has a monopoly over search services and advertising.
The ruling stated,
“After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,”
The latest ruling will have far-reaching ramifications because it is one of the largest antitrust decisions in decades and led to the logical conclusion of a case which pitted the justice department against one of the world’s most valuable companies.
The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, as well as European regulators, have in recent years minutely scrutinized big tech companies for allegedly monopolistic practices.
The trial which began in September did not have any jury and Judge Mehta took a long hiatus before coming to a judgment.
The closing arguments concluded in the first week of May.
Judge Mehta also observed that he is keenly aware of the gravity of the case for both Google and the public.
Google will surely appeal the decision as per the president of global affairs, Kent Walker.
Walker in his statement tried to score points when he quoted a ruling where Mehta described the company’s search engine as superior to its competitors.
Walker said,
“This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,”
Judge Mehta on Monday stated that the proceedings were remarkable and he was all praise for the quality of lawyers on both sides of the case in his ruling. The case involved millions of pages and petabytes of data changing hands during the discovery phase of the case.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland reacted after the ruling and said,
“A historic win for the American people. No company – no matter how large or influential – is above the law.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated
“Pro-competition ruling is a victory for the American people. Americans deserve an internet that is free, fair, and open for competition.”
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