Current:Home > InvestGoogle, Justice Department make final arguments about whether search engine is a monopoly -Mastery Money Tools
Google, Justice Department make final arguments about whether search engine is a monopoly
View
Date:2025-04-18 01:57:42
WASHINGTON (AP) — Google’s preeminence as an internet search engine is an illegal monopoly propped up by more than $20 billion spent each year by the tech giant to lock out competition, Justice Department lawyers argued at the closings of a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit.
Google, on the other hand, maintains that its ubiquity flows from its excellence, and its ability to deliver consumers the results that it’s looking for.
The government and Google made their closing arguments Friday in the 10-week lawsuit to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who must now decide whether Google broke the law in maintaining a monopoly status as a search engine.
Much of the case, the biggest antitrust trial in more than two decades, has revolved around how much Google derives its strength from contracts it has in place with companies like Apple to make Google the default search engine preloaded on cellphones and computers.
At trial, evidence showed that Google spends more than $20 billion a year on such contracts. Justice Department lawyers have said the huge sum is indicative of how important it is for Google to make itself the default search engine and block competitors from getting a foothold.
Google responds that customers could easily click away to other search engines if they wanted, but that consumers invariably prefer Google. Companies like Apple testified at trial that they partner with Google because they consider its search engine to be superior.
Google also argues that the government defines the search engine market too narrowly. While it does hold a dominant position over other general search engines like Bing and Yahoo, Google says it faces much more intense competition when consumers make targeted searches. For instance, the tech giant says shoppers may be more likely to search for products on Amazon than Google, vacation planners may run their searches on AirBnB, and hungry diners may be more likely to search for a restaurant on Yelp.
And Google has said that social media companies like Facebook and TikTok also present fierce competition.
During Friday’s arguments, Mehta questioned whether some of those other companies are really in the same market. He said social media companies can generate ad revenue by trying to present ads that seem to match a consumer’s interest. But he said Google has the ability to place ads in front of consumers in direct response to queries they submit.
“It’s only Google where we can see that directly declared intent,” Mehta said.
Google’s lawyer, John Schmidtlein, responded that social media companies “have lots and lots of information about your interests that I would say is just as powerful.”
The company has also argued that its market strength is tenuous as the internet continually remakes itself. Earlier in the trial, it noted that many experts once considered it irrefutable that Yahoo would always be dominant in search. Today, it said that younger tech consumers sometimes think of Google as “Grandpa Google.”
Mehta has not yet said when he will rule, though there is an expectation that it may take several months.
If he finds that Google violated the law, he would then schedule a “remedies” phase of the trial to determine what should be done to bolster competition in the search-engine market. The government has not yet said what kind of remedy it would seek.
veryGood! (8657)
Related
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Values distinguished Christian McCaffrey in high school. And led him to Super Bowl 58
- Kyle Shanahan: 'I was serious' about pursuing Tom Brady as 49ers' QB for 2023 season
- Tennessee’s strict abortion ban is under pressure, but change is unlikely under GOP control
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Imprisoned mom wins early release but same relief blocked for some other domestic violence survivors
- McDonald’s franchisee agrees to pay $4.4M after manager sexually assaulted teen
- Yes, cardio is important. But it's not the only kind of exercise you should do.
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- $1 million could be yours, if Burger King makes your dream Whopper idea a reality
Ranking
- Small twin
- Jam Master Jay dabbled in drug sales ‘to make ends meet,’ witness testifies
- At least 99 dead in Chile as forest fires ravage densely populated areas
- Service has been restored to east Arkansas town that went without water for more than 2 weeks
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Meet the newscaster in drag making LGBTQ+ history in Mexican television
- Why the NBA trade deadline is so crucial for these six teams
- Why the NBA trade deadline is so crucial for these six teams
Recommendation
What to watch: O Jolie night
First Russians are fined or jailed over rainbow-colored items after LGBTQ+ ‘movement’ is outlawed
A famous climate scientist is in court, with big stakes for attacks on science
Senate Republicans resist advancing on border policy bill, leaving aid for Ukraine in doubt
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Donald Trump deploys his oft-used playbook against women who bother him. For now, it’s Nikki Haley
Apple TV+ special 'Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin' flips a script 50-years deep: What to know
U.S., U.K. launch new round of joint strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen