In a groundbreaking US antitrust trial set to begin on Tuesday, federal regulators are aiming to dismantle Google’s internet empire by challenging its dominant search engine. Over the next 10 weeks, federal lawyers and state attorneys general will seek to prove that Google manipulated the market in its favor by making its search engine the default choice across various platforms and devices. US District Judge Amit Mehta is not expected to make a ruling until early next year. Should Google be found guilty, another trial will determine the necessary measures to curtail the power of the California-based company.
Testimonies from top executives at Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., as well as representatives from other tech giants, including Apple, are anticipated during the trial. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who took over from Google co-founder Larry Page four years ago, is likely to testify. Court documents also suggest that Eddy Cue, an influential executive at Apple, may be called to the stand. The antitrust lawsuit against Google was filed by the US Justice Department almost three years ago during the Trump administration, alleging that the company leveraged its search engine dominance to gain an unfair advantage over competitors. Government lawyers claim that Google engages in payola, spending billions of dollars annually to secure its position as the default search engine on the iPhone, as well as on web browsers such as Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox.
Regulators further argue that Google unlawfully manipulated the market in its favor by requiring its search engine to be bundled with its Android software for smartphones, thereby restricting full access to the Android app store for device manufacturers who don’t comply. Google contests these allegations, asserting that it faces a range of competition, despite controlling around 90% of the internet search market. According to Google, its rivals include search engines like Microsoft’s Bing and websites such as Amazon and Yelp, where users can seek advice on purchases or recommendations. Google attributes its sustained popularity to continuous improvements made to its search engine, which has made “Googling” synonymous with online searching.
The antitrust case brought against Google by the US Justice Department bears resemblance to the 1998 case against Microsoft. At that time, regulators accused Microsoft of compelling computer manufacturers to feature its Internet Explorer browser alongside its dominant Windows operating system, effectively stifling competition from the once-popular Netscape browser as the internet gained widespread use. Notably, several members of the Justice Department’s team involved in the Google case also worked on the Microsoft investigation. Google may face limitations on its power if the trial concludes with concessions that diminish its influence. One possibility is that the company may be required to cease payments to Apple and other firms for making Google their default search engine on smartphones and computers.
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