A U.S. federal court on Monday Google The company had illegal monopolies in two market areas: search and text advertising.
The government’s landmark case alleged that Google had created strong barriers to entry and feedback loops that allowed it to maintain its dominance and thereby secure its market share in general search. The court found that Google had violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolies.
“Google is a monopoly and has acted as a monopoly to maintain its monopoly,” Justice Amit Mehta wrote in his ruling.
The court focused on Google’s exclusive search agreements for Android and Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices, saying they contributed to Google’s anti-competitive conduct and entrenched dominance in the search market.
The Justice Department and a bipartisan group of attorneys general from 38 states and territories, led by Colorado and Nebraska, filed similar but separate antitrust lawsuits against Google in 2020. Those cases were consolidated for discovery and other pretrial purposes.
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