Google Appeals Landmark Antitrust Ruling Over Search Monopoly
Google has formally appealed a major US court decision that found the tech giant unlawfully maintained a monopoly in online search, marking the latest twist in one of the most significant antitrust cases in decades.
The appeal follows an August 2024 ruling by US District Judge Amit Mehta, who concluded that Google had used anti-competitive practices to dominate the search market. The company announced its challenge on Friday, arguing that the judgment failed to reflect how users freely choose its services.
“As we’ve said before, people use Google because they want to, not because they’re forced to,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President for Regulatory Affairs. She added that the ruling overlooked the speed of innovation and the level of competition the company faces.
Google is also asking the court to pause the implementation of remedies imposed by Judge Mehta, which are designed to curb its market power. While some critics consider these measures too mild, they include requirements for Google to share certain data with approved competitors.
In his earlier decision, Judge Mehta rejected a government request to break up the company, which would have included spinning off Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser. Instead, he ordered Google to provide parts of its search index — the massive database that maps online content — to rivals deemed eligible by the court.
The ruling also allows competitors to display Google’s search results on their own platforms, a move aimed at giving smaller firms time and resources to develop their own technology.
Mulholland strongly opposed these conditions, warning that they could compromise user privacy and discourage innovation. “Forcing us to share sensitive search data risks Americans’ privacy and undermines incentives for competitors to build their own products,” she said.
The case has unfolded amid rapid changes in the tech industry, particularly the rise of generative artificial intelligence. Judge Mehta previously acknowledged that AI had altered the competitive landscape, influencing the court’s approach to remedies.
Google’s expanding AI ambitions are also attracting regulatory scrutiny overseas. Last month, the European Union launched an investigation into the company’s AI-generated search summaries, examining whether it used publishers’ content without fair compensation.
In response, Google said the probe could hamper innovation in a highly competitive market.
Despite the legal challenges, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reached a major financial milestone this week, becoming only the fourth firm in history to hit a market valuation of $4 trillion.
The outcome of the appeal could have far-reaching consequences for how dominant tech firms operate and how competition is regulated in the digital economy.
