🌐 A U.S. judge is set to decide whether Google’s search dominance broke antitrust laws—and the verdict could reshape the web.
After months of heated arguments, the U.S. Justice Department and Google wrapped up a blockbuster trial on Friday. At stake? Whether the tech giant abused its monopoly power in search and advertising. Judge Amit Mehta grilled both sides on whether rivals like TikTok, Facebook, and Amazon pose real competition. Advertisers, he noted, might shift spending—but does that actually limit Google’s control?
⚖️ The DOJ accused Google of acting like a 'monopolist' by stifling rivals and raising prices without fear. 'Only a monopolist can make a product worse and still earn more,' argued government lawyer David Dahlquist. Google fired back, claiming its ad revenue share is shrinking and innovation keeps it ahead. 'Why improve if you’re a monopoly?' countered Google’s lawyer John Schmidtlein.
💡 The trial revealed juicy details: Google paid $26B in 2021 to be the default search engine on phones and browsers. The DOJ also slammed Google for allegedly deleting internal chats. Judge Mehta questioned if the company should face consequences for 'far from best practices.'
🔮 This case—kicked off under Trump and part of a broader crackdown on Big Tech—could set the tone for pending lawsuits against Meta, Amazon, and Apple. Will the internet’s future hinge on this decision? Stay tuned.
