{"id":2319581,"date":"2024-08-05T17:11:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T21:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-rules-google-is-a-monopolist\/"},"modified":"2024-08-05T17:19:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T21:19:50","slug":"federal-judge-rules-google-is-a-monopolist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-rules-google-is-a-monopolist\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Judge Rules Google Is A \u2018Monopolist\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffederal-judge-rules-google-is-a-monopolist%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2319581&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In\u200b a significant ruling with potential ramifications for upcoming Big Tech antitrust lawsuits, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta determined that Google has\u200c engaged in monopolistic behavior by illegally dominating key U.S. search and\u200b advertising\u2063 markets. The judge&#8217;s decision arose from a case initiated by the \u200dTrump administration&#8217;s Department of Justice in 2020, which accused Google of utilizing its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvanias-pandemic-fiscal-band-aid-falling-off\/\" title=\"Pennsylvania&#039;s pandemic fiscal Band-Aid unraveling\">substantial\u200d financial resources<\/a> \u2064to secure \u200dexclusive agreements that maintain its status\u200d as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-privacy-battle-raging-between-apple-and-facebook\/\" title=\"Inside The Privacy Battle Raging Between Apple And Facebook\">default search engine<\/a> on many devices, thus stifling competition.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Mehta concluded that these actions violate\u200b Section \u20642 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolistic practices, and\u200c effectively hinder competitors \u2062in both the search service and \u200conline advertising sectors. \u2062Although he recognized Google as a monopolist\u200c that employed various tactics to protect its market dominance, he opted not to impose immediate penalties, indicating a future remedies trial could address necessary changes to Google&#8217;s operations.<\/p>\n<p>During the trial, Google&#8217;s defense argued\u200d that their technological superiority justified \u2064their market position;\u200b however, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-please-pardon-jon-woods-a-victim-of-process-crimes-like-michael-flynn\/\" title=\"President Trump, Please Pardon Jon Woods, a Victim of Process Crimes Like Michael Flynn\">judge found<\/a>\u200d that their practices created an environment\u2062 that disadvantaged\u2062 rivals, limiting their \u200dability to compete. The ruling marks a critical moment in the scrutiny of\u2064 Big Tech companies and their influence in the digital landscape.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/black-samsung-tablet-display-google-browser-on-screen-218717\/\">PhotoMIX Company\/Pexels<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/05\/in-major-antitrust-case-judge-finds-googles-search-and-ads-monopolies-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=In%20Major%20Antitrust%20Case,%20Judge%20Finds%20Google%E2%80%99s%20Search%20And%20Ads%20Monopolies%20Illegal&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/05\/in-major-antitrust-case-judge-finds-googles-search-and-ads-monopolies-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=In%20Major%20Antitrust%20Case,%20Judge%20Finds%20Google%E2%80%99s%20Search%20And%20Ads%20Monopolies%20Illegal&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/05\/in-major-antitrust-case-judge-finds-googles-search-and-ads-monopolies-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/05\/in-major-antitrust-case-judge-finds-googles-search-and-ads-monopolies-illegal\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=In%20Major%20Antitrust%20Case,%20Judge%20Finds%20Google%E2%80%99s%20Search%20And%20Ads%20Monopolies%20Illegal&amp;body=The%20judge%20ruled%20that%20Google's%20anticompetitive%20practices%20illegally%20%E2%80%98puts%20rivals%20in%20no%20position%20to%20compete'%20with%20their%20ad%20revenue%20scheme.%20%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/05\/in-major-antitrust-case-judge-finds-googles-search-and-ads-monopolies-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>In a ruling that likely carries big implications for the future of several other Big Tech antitrust lawsuits, a federal judge <a href=\"https:\/\/files.lbr.cloud\/public\/2024-08\/045110819896.pdf?VersionId=mHMw8uSvPbFCwl.7.yAY8wRXM0.UCmrD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">found<\/a> Google abused its amassed power to illegally dominate at least two U.S. search and advertising product markets. <\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge&nbsp;of the Washington D.C. District Court, Amit Mehta, decided Monday that Google&rsquo;s attempt to secure exclusive distribution agreements that guaranteed it would be users&rsquo; default search engine amounts to monopolistic behavior that deserves rebuke.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ea653ae39c7b340469d8754bce6043d6 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ea653ae39c7b340469d8754bce6043d6\"><\/div>\n<p>By paying smartphone and web browsing companies such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/10\/26\/technology\/google-apple-search-spotlight.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple<\/a> and Samsung tens of billions of dollars, the Alphabet technology company violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits unfair monopolies, and harmed competitors&rsquo; abilities to make gains in both the general search services and general text advertising markets.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Mehta wrote in the 277-page ruling. <\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit, first brought by former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s Department of Justice and 11 state attorneys general&nbsp;in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-sues-monopolist-google-violating-antitrust-laws\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2020<\/a>, alleged that Google, &ldquo;one of the wealthiest companies on the planet&rdquo; with a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/google\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">track record of censorship<\/a>, became a &ldquo;monopoly gatekeeper to the internet for billions of users and countless advertisers worldwide.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For years, Google has accounted for almost 90 percent of all search queries in the United States and has used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in search and search advertising,&rdquo; the DOJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-sues-monopolist-google-violating-antitrust-laws\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release stated<\/a>. &ldquo;As alleged in the Complaint, Google has entered into a series of exclusionary agreements that collectively lock up the primary avenues through which users access search engines, and thus the internet, by requiring that Google be set as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rumbles-antitrust-lawsuit-vs-google-to-proceed-to-discovery\/\" title=\"Rumble\u2019s Antitrust Lawsuit vs. Google to Proceed to Discovery\">preset default general search engine<\/a> on billions of mobile devices and computers worldwide and, in many cases, prohibiting preinstallation of a competitor.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-81e1001cff99a8248444dd6a7725916b fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-81e1001cff99a8248444dd6a7725916b\"><\/div>\n<p>During the weeks-long trial, Google&rsquo;s legal team and CEO Sundar Pichai <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/05\/02\/1248152695\/google-doj-monopoly-trial-antitrust-closing-arguments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">repeatedly argued <\/a>that they simply maintained an edge on search engine technology that other companies could not rival. Mehta, however, disagreed stating that the current system &ldquo;puts rivals in no position to compete with Google for the increased ad revenue that accompanies greater query volume.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He noted that Google went to great lengths to cover up any semblance of antitrust violations and that he was &ldquo;taken aback by the lengths to which Google goes to avoid creating a paper<br \/>trail for regulators and litigants&rdquo; but ultimately declined to impose sanctions on the Big Tech company.<\/p>\n<p>Mehta also did not immediately state any penalties or recourse for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tractor-supplys-dei-reversal-shows-citizen-activism-works\/\" title=\"Tractor Supply&#039;s DEI Reversal Shows Citizen Activism Works\">company&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s anticompetitive behavior because he wanted to first establish Google&rsquo;s liability. He did, however, hint at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/tech\/the-google-antitrust-verdict-looms-heres-what-to-look-for-804065c1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remedies trial<\/a>, which the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/05\/technology\/google-antitrust-ruling.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York Times warned<\/a> might force Google &ldquo;to change the way it runs or to sell off part of its business.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-29cc923c75d015437ce932d655c1d9fc fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-29cc923c75d015437ce932d655c1d9fc\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Jordan Boyd<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jordanboydtx\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\" rel=\"noopener\">@jordanboydtx<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/jordandavidson\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/amit-mehta\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Amit Mehta<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/anti-trust-2\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">anti-trust<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/antitrust\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">antitrust<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/big-tech\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Big Tech<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/censorship\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">censorship<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/competition\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">competition<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/google\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Google<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/sherman-act\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">sherman act<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a decision that could significantly impact various ongoing antitrust cases against Big Tech, a federal judge determined that Google misused its considerable influence to unlawfully control at least two markets in the U.S. related to search and advertising products. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta of the Washington D.C. District Court ruled on Monday that Google&#8217;s efforts to secure exclusive distribution agreements, which ensured it would be the default search engine for users, constituted monopolistic conduct deserving of condemnation.<\/p>\n<p>By paying smartphone and web browser companies like Apple and Samsung billions of dollars, Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits unfair monopolies, thereby hindering competitors&#8217; ability to succeed in both general search services and text advertising markets. In his 277-page ruling, Mehta stated, &#8220;After carefully considering witness testimony and evidence, the court concludes: Google is a monopolist and has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit was initiated by former President Donald Trump\u2019s Department of Justice along with 11 state attorneys general in 2020. It claimed that Google\u2014one of the richest companies globally\u2014has become a &#8220;monopoly gatekeeper&#8221; for billions of internet users and advertisers due to its history of censorship. The DOJ&#8217;s press release noted that Google has controlled nearly 90 percent of all search queries in the U.S., employing anti-competitive tactics to sustain its dominance in both search engines and advertising.<\/p>\n<p>The complaint alleged that Google entered into numerous exclusionary agreements effectively locking up primary access points for users seeking search engines by mandating it be set as the default on billions of devices while often barring competitors from preinstallation.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout weeks of trial proceedings, Google&#8217;s legal team argued alongside CEO Sundar Pichai that they merely maintained superior technology compared to rivals; however, Mehta countered this claim by stating that such practices prevent competition for ad revenue linked with higher query volumes.<\/p>\n<p>He remarked on Google&#8217;s extensive efforts to obscure any signs of antitrust violations but chose not to impose immediate sanctions against them. Instead, he aimed first at establishing Google&#8217;s liability before discussing penalties or remedies\u2014a process hinted at potentially requiring changes in how Google operates or even divesting parts of its business according to warnings from The New York Times.<\/p>\n<p>Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist who also produces The Federalist Radio Hour; her work has appeared in outlets like The Daily Wire and Fox News. She graduated from Baylor University with a major in political science and minor in journalism; you can follow her on X @jordanboydtx<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":490,"featured_media":2319582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-wdnet-218717.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5509,33791,6063,6547,37260],"class_list":["post-2319581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-antitrust","tag-federal-judge","tag-google","tag-law","tag-monopolist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-wdnet-218717.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2319581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2319581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2319581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2319582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2319581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2319581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2319581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}