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The DOJ will finally take Google to court over charges it filed against the company back in 2020. Marking one of the biggest antitrust cases against a tech company of Google’s size in two decades. In its initial filing, the DOJ alleged Google was using its considerable market dominance and large sums of money to block competitors. Resulting in Google becoming the default search engine for around 90% of the market.
The same day as the filing, Google said the DOJ’s lawsuit was “deeply flawed.” Noting that its users weren’t picking Google because there were no other options but rather because they wanted to use Google over competitors. Still, the DOJ has stuck to its guns. Carefully building a case against Google in attempts to check the power of big tech companies. As reported by the National Post, the case will begin Tuesday September 12. It will be a non-jury case decided on by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
The DOJ will argue in court that Google pays billions to block out rivals
As in the original lawsuit filing, the Justice department will argue that Google has set itself up to be a new kind of monopoly that leaves no room for other players. That the search giant has paid billions to other companies, including Apple, to make Google the default search option.
It’s a claim that Google has been firmly against from the beginning. But if found to be abusing its dominance in the market, it could have big impacts on the future of how Google implements search in new and emerging technology industries. Search is and has always been Google’s biggest money maker. But some in Washington feel that the company’s power has gone unchecked for far too long.
It’s also an important case for big tech in general because the results of it will play a big role in how these things are handled going forward. If Google loses, it opens the door for perhaps a less lenient hand for all companies in the tech sector going forward.