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Google is evading another antitrust lawsuit after a US district court judge dropped most of the Department of Justice (DOJ) allegations against the company. This could be a great win for Google amid numerous antitrust lawsuits that targeted the tech giant for its anti-competitive practices.
Filing antitrust lawsuits against big tech companies has significantly increased in recent years. Government agencies and NGOs believe these companies are using their power to manipulate the market and eliminate their rivals. This behavior results in a monopoly that no other company can ever threaten. One of these lawsuits was filed in 2020 by the DOJ and a group of 38 state attorneys general against Google.
The lawsuit accused Google of involving in anti-competitive practices to reduce visitors to competitors’ websites. For example, the lawsuit stated that Google’s search engine deliberately minimizes the visibility of competitors like Yelp, Expedia, and Tripadvisor.
A US district court judge dismisses most allegations DOJ made against Google
According to Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling, the proof provided by the plaintiff against Google “relies not on evidence but almost entirely on the opinion and speculation of its expert.” Another DOJ allegation the judge dropped was related to the agreements between Google, developers, and Android phone manufacturers.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs and chief legal officer, appreciated the judge’s decision to abandon the case. He also claimed Google services are “legal” and “pro-competitive.”
Of course, the DOJ has filed another lawsuit against Google for its online advertisement market practices. Google has always been accused of having a monopoly in the online ad market and making efforts to eliminate its ad technology rivals.
Google and the DOJ will face off in court on September 12. The tech giant will have an easier job defending itself in the trial. However, some key allegations against Google still remained in place, including making Google the default search engine on mobile browsers. Judge considered this as a violation of antitrust policies.