Current:Home > ContactGoogle, Justice Department make final arguments about whether search engine is a monopoly -ValueMetric
Google, Justice Department make final arguments about whether search engine is a monopoly
View
Date:2025-04-14 19:11:08
WASHINGTON (AP) — Google’s preeminence as an internet search engine is an illegal monopoly propped up by more than $20 billion spent each year by the tech giant to lock out competition, Justice Department lawyers argued at the closings of a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit.
Google, on the other hand, maintains that its ubiquity flows from its excellence, and its ability to deliver consumers the results that it’s looking for.
The government and Google made their closing arguments Friday in the 10-week lawsuit to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who must now decide whether Google broke the law in maintaining a monopoly status as a search engine.
Much of the case, the biggest antitrust trial in more than two decades, has revolved around how much Google derives its strength from contracts it has in place with companies like Apple to make Google the default search engine preloaded on cellphones and computers.
At trial, evidence showed that Google spends more than $20 billion a year on such contracts. Justice Department lawyers have said the huge sum is indicative of how important it is for Google to make itself the default search engine and block competitors from getting a foothold.
Google responds that customers could easily click away to other search engines if they wanted, but that consumers invariably prefer Google. Companies like Apple testified at trial that they partner with Google because they consider its search engine to be superior.
Google also argues that the government defines the search engine market too narrowly. While it does hold a dominant position over other general search engines like Bing and Yahoo, Google says it faces much more intense competition when consumers make targeted searches. For instance, the tech giant says shoppers may be more likely to search for products on Amazon than Google, vacation planners may run their searches on AirBnB, and hungry diners may be more likely to search for a restaurant on Yelp.
And Google has said that social media companies like Facebook and TikTok also present fierce competition.
During Friday’s arguments, Mehta questioned whether some of those other companies are really in the same market. He said social media companies can generate ad revenue by trying to present ads that seem to match a consumer’s interest. But he said Google has the ability to place ads in front of consumers in direct response to queries they submit.
“It’s only Google where we can see that directly declared intent,” Mehta said.
Google’s lawyer, John Schmidtlein, responded that social media companies “have lots and lots of information about your interests that I would say is just as powerful.”
The company has also argued that its market strength is tenuous as the internet continually remakes itself. Earlier in the trial, it noted that many experts once considered it irrefutable that Yahoo would always be dominant in search. Today, it said that younger tech consumers sometimes think of Google as “Grandpa Google.”
Mehta has not yet said when he will rule, though there is an expectation that it may take several months.
If he finds that Google violated the law, he would then schedule a “remedies” phase of the trial to determine what should be done to bolster competition in the search-engine market. The government has not yet said what kind of remedy it would seek.
veryGood! (872)
Related
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- How Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen Navigate Their Private Romance on Their Turf
- Jim Carrey Reveals Money Inspired His Return to Acting in Candid Paycheck Confession
- Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did
- Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. The Spanish translation was no bueno
- 'The Later Daters': Cast, how to stream new Michelle Obama
- CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione may have suffered from spondylolisthesis. What is it?
- Is that Cillian Murphy as a zombie in the '28 Years Later' trailer?
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ready to campaign for Harris-Walz after losing out for spot on the ticket
- 'Yellowstone' Season 5, Part 2: Here's when the final episode comes out and how to watch
Ranking
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Morgan Wallen's Chair Throwing Case Heading to Criminal Court
- Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled to Eastern Europe is in custody, online records show
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Chiquis comes from Latin pop royalty. How the regional Mexican star found her own crown
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Small plane crashes onto New York highway, killing 1 person and injuring another
Recommendation
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Biden and Tribal Leaders Celebrate Four Years of Accomplishments on Behalf of Native Americans
Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did
Rebecca Minkoff says Danny Masterson was 'incredibly supportive to me' at start of career
Clay Aiken's son Parker, 15, makes his TV debut, looks like his father's twin
South Korea opposition leader Lee says impeaching Yoon best way to restore order
Horoscopes Today, December 11, 2024
Chiquis comes from Latin pop royalty. How the regional Mexican star found her own crown