Receive free Google LLC updates
We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Google LLC news every morning.
US prosecutors alleged that Google pays over $10 billion annually to ensure it remains the default search engine on mobile devices and computers, as the most significant antitrust monopoly trial in 25 years begins in Washington.
During the Department of Justice’s opening statements, Kenneth Dintzer stated, “This case revolves around the future of the internet and whether Google’s search engine will ever face genuine competition.” The case accuses Google of dominating internet search through anti-competitive agreements.
Dintzer further claimed that in 2010, Google began “illegally maintaining” its established monopoly and currently holds approximately 89% of the internet search market.
Google’s opening argument is expected to be presented later today.
This trial is the most high-profile antitrust case since the Department of Justice accused Microsoft of attempting to undermine the pioneering web browser Netscape with its Windows dominance in the 1990s.
Appointed by President Joe Biden, a new generation of progressive officials, including Jonathan Kanter, the head of the Department of Justice’s antitrust unit, aims to rein in Big Tech. They argue that insufficient legal challenges in recent decades have allowed anti-competitive behavior to spread throughout the US economy.
Kanter, who was present in the Washington courtroom on Tuesday as an observer, inherited the Google case from the Trump administration, which initially filed it in 2020.
“The case against Google is the largest monopolization case since Microsoft,” said Sean Sullivan, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law. He believes it could be a landmark trial that produces significant changes in the application of antitrust law.
The Department of Justice’s complaint alleges that Google sidelined competitors by paying billions of dollars to wireless carriers, browser developers, and device manufacturers. These deals ensure that Google’s search engine features prominently on mobile devices and computers.
Google argues that it provides a superior product chosen by the public. Additionally, Google claims that these agreements are mainly determined by companies such as Apple or Samsung, and other players can participate in the bidding process.
Sullivan emphasized that it is not enough for the Department of Justice to demonstrate Google’s size and the struggles faced by its competitors. They must prove that Google has maintained its monopoly position through anti-competitive conduct.
The witness lists for the bench trial, which is expected to last around 10 weeks, have not yet been finalized. However, it is anticipated that the Department of Justice will call on companies involved in Google’s agreements. Apple failed to prevent three of its top executives, including Eddy Cue, head of its services business, from being summoned as witnesses. Other tech executives, including Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, are also expected to testify.
In January, the Department of Justice filed a separate antitrust lawsuit against Google for its dominance in the digital advertising market. This is one of several cases brought by antitrust enforcers in the Biden administration to address the power of Big Tech.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
