The United States vs. Google is a pivotal antitrust trial involving allegations of Google shutting out competitors and harming consumers through default search engine agreements with phone makers and browsers. This legal showdown is seen as a test of the government’s efforts to regulate Big Tech’s immense influence. Google, with its parent company Alphabet valued at $1.7 trillion, is accused of monopolistic practices in dominating internet search.
The trial, set to last nine to 10 weeks, commenced in a Washington, D.C., federal courtroom and holds significant implications for the multibillion-dollar default agreements that Google allegedly used anticompetitively to generate $162 billion in search advertising revenue last year.
The case was initiated during the Trump administration, with the Justice Department and several states accusing Google of illegal practices in securing default agreements with companies like Apple to maintain search dominance. Google’s defense argues that these distribution deals are commonplace in the business world, likening them to a food manufacturer’s product placement in a grocery store.
The trial is overseen by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta, without a jury, and various outcomes are possible, including Google’s victory, banning default search deals in the U.S., permitting alternatives to Google’s default deals, or opening up search deal bidding by region or platform.
In the lead-up to the trial, the judge narrowed the case’s scope by dismissing some claims. Additionally, Alphabet and attorneys general from 36 states and Washington, D.C., reached a settlement related to the company’s mobile app store.
Tensions between Google and the Justice Department escalated as Google alleged bias on the part of the antitrust chief, and the Justice Department accused Google of deleting employees’ chat messages relevant to the case.
Google also faces another antitrust case from the Justice Department concerning its dominance in the digital advertising market, particularly ad placement technology.
