Google's Illegal Monopoly: US Judge's Ruling and Future Implications

Google has been ruled to have an illegal monopoly on internet search and advertising, facing potential consequences for its anti-competitive behavior.

### US Judge Rules Google Has Illegal Monopoly on Internet Search and Advertising
* 🔍  US District Judge Ahmed Medha ruled that Google is a **monopolist** and has acted as one to **maintain its monopoly**, particularly through agreements with companies like Apple and Samsung.
* 💬  Google plans to appeal the decision, with President for Global Affairs Kent Walker stating, "This decision recognizes that Google offers the **best search engine** but concludes that we shouldn't be allowed to make it **easily available now**."
* 💰  The Justice Department highlighted Google's payments to Apple and Samsung, with Google reportedly paying Apple about **$18 billion in 2021** to be the default search engine on iPhones.
* 🏛️  The case is part of a larger government effort to address **alleged antitrust violations** by big tech companies, with ongoing lawsuits against **Apple, Amazon, and Meta**.
* ⚖️  The next steps in the Google case involve a ruling on **potential punishments or changes Google must make** to address its illegal monopoly behavior.
* 🔮  Former FTC chairman William Kovacic suggested the case could eventually reach the Supreme Court, indicating a **potentially lengthy legal process ahead**.
* 📅  The lawsuit against Google was filed in 2020, went to trial last year, and the recent ruling came after a **10-week trial**.
* 🌐  This ruling could have **significant implications for the tech industry**, similar to the impact of the US government's actions against Microsoft in the 1990s.

a US federal judge ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly on internet search and advertising. Now, of course, we all know Google is the largest search engine. It's not a crime to have the most popular product that everyone uses. However, the big deal here is that a judge is saying the way Google conducts its business is actually breaking the law because it is illegal to act in a way that harms competition. And this, in part, has to do with how Google pays companies like Apple and Samsung to make Google the default search engine on phones. In his decision, US District Judge Ahmed Medha wrote, 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. Google responded with a statement from Kent Walker, the company's President for Global Affairs, who said the company does plan to appeal. 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 now. The Justice Department also put out its own statement on the ruling in the trial. The Justice Department pointed to how Google paid Apple and Samsung billions of dollars to make sure that Google was the default search engine on smartphones and phone browsers, which then Google gets all this user data to grow stronger and stronger. The argument is that it makes it hard for other search engines to compete. The New York Times reported Google paid Apple about $18 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine on iPhones. And this isn't just about the search engine. The government also accused Google of running an illegal monopoly over the advertisements in its search results. This whole ordeal has been stretched out. The lawsuit was filed in 2020, the trial was last year, and it took 10 weeks. And now the judge ruled that Google violated the law. So what's next? Well, there's going to be another ruling, perhaps coming on what the punishment or cure will need to be. The court might say what Google needs to change to fix this.

illegal Monopoly Behavior. It's been quite an error for the government going after big Tech Giants and their monopolies. Earlier this year, the justice department sued Apple over how it makes it hard for iPhone customers to leave the iPhone and switch to Android. That battle is still ongoing. Last year, the FTC sued Amazon alleging that it blocks competition, and the FTC also has an ongoing lawsuit with meta over how it accumulated a social media Monopoly when it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp. The agency is trying to break up the company. The last time government really changed things by breaking up big Tech was back in the '90s when Microsoft was found to have an illegal Monopoly for how Internet Explorer was the dominant browser on Windows machines. Now that ended up stretching out for years and going to the US court of appeals for the District of Colombia where the US government and Microsoft reached a settlement, and Microsoft agreed to make some changes. Now in this Google case, you can expect it to be drawn out with appeals taking a while and one former

chairman of the FTC told the New York Times that this could even head to the Supreme Court. In other words, you may be Googling this news for a while. I'm Bridget KY. If you want to follow updates on this, you can also subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on the latest changes in the world of tech.

US Court Rules Google Is an Illegal Monopoly: Now What?

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US Federal Judge Rules Google Has Illegal Monopoly

Google has been ruled to have an illegal monopoly on internet search and advertising, particularly due to its agreements with companies like Apple and Samsung.

The company plans to appeal the decision, arguing that it offers the best search engine and should be allowed to make it easily available.

The ruling comes after a lawsuit filed in 2020, and now the next step is to determine the necessary punishment or changes for Google to address the violation of the law.

Government Actions Against Tech Giants' Monopolies

The US government has taken legal action against big Tech Giants, including Apple, Amazon, and Meta, for alleged monopoly behavior.

These companies are facing lawsuits for blocking competition and creating monopolistic environments.

Similar government intervention in the '90s, like the case of Microsoft, resulted in a lengthy legal process and eventual settlement.

Potential Supreme Court Involvement in FTC Case Against Google

The FTC case against Google is escalating, with the possibility of reaching the Supreme Court.

The chairman's statement suggests a prolonged legal battle ahead, indicating a need for ongoing attention to this news.

For those interested in staying informed about the latest developments in the tech world, subscribing to Bridget KY's channel is recommended.