Google is facing a landmark antitrust trial beginning Monday, as U.S. officials seek to break up the tech giant's dominance in the search engine market.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought the case to court, arguing that Google should be forced to sell its Chrome browser to restore competition to the online search market.
The outcome of the trial could have significant ramifications, potentially disrupting Google's long-standing position as the primary gateway to the internet. The DOJ hopes that the trial will not only challenge Google's monopoly in search but also prevent the company from extending its dominance into emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
During the opening statements, DOJ attorney David Dahlquist emphasized the bipartisan nature of the case, noting that it had been initiated under the Trump administration and carried forward under President Biden. "The full support of the DOJ both past and present" is behind this effort, he stated.
In response, Google has signaled its intent to appeal any unfavorable ruling. Google executive Lee-Anne Mulholland criticized the DOJ's proposed remedies, suggesting that they were too extreme and would disrupt the company's operations. "When it comes to antitrust remedies, the U.S. Supreme Court has said that 'caution is key,'" Mulholland wrote in a blog post. "DOJ's proposal throws that caution to the wind."
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater, however, rejected Google's concerns, arguing that failing to address Google's monopoly would be "irresponsible." Slater, speaking outside the courthouse on Monday morning, stressed the need for action to address Google's abuse of its market power.
The trial is being overseen by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta and is expected to last for three weeks. At the center of the case is Google's practice of paying billions of dollars annually to companies like Apple to make its search engine the default on smartphones and tablets. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general are pushing for drastic measures, including ending these exclusive agreements, requiring Google to license search results to competitors, and potentially forcing the company to sell its Android operating system if other remedies fail to restore competition.
The DOJ also plans to call witnesses from AI companies, including Perplexity AI and OpenAI, to testify about how Google's exclusive agreements have hindered competition in the AI sector. Google, on the other hand, sees these proposals as excessive, arguing that cutting off financial support to browser makers like Mozilla and device vendors would harm the tech ecosystem and lead to higher costs for consumers.
The trial follows a recent win for the DOJ in a separate antitrust case, where a Virginia court ruled that Google maintains an illegal monopoly in advertising technology. The case is part of broader scrutiny of big tech companies, with Meta Platforms currently facing its own antitrust trial over its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
Chevron is in talks with Iraq’s oil ministry over potential changes to the commercial framework governing the West Qurna 2 oilfield, one of the worl...
A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd M. Lyons to appear in court on Friday and expl...
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stressed to U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on Tuesday the importance of unifying international efforts t...
Residents in Syria’s Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli have stepped up volunteer patrols amid growing pressure from the country’s Islamist-led gov...
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also...
A coalition of women’s rights organisations, technology watchdogs and progressive campaigners is urging Apple and Google, owned by Alphabet, to remove the social media platform X and its associated chatbot, Grok, from their app stores.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has introduced its newest model, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, claiming it can perform some tasks as well as the latest models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI.
Two of the world’s fiercest technology rivals have announced a surprise collaboration, aiming to shore up the stability of the global internet infrastructure following a series of costly disruptions.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the state’s National Guard following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests and intensified tensions between state and federal authorities.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected a U.S. magazine report on the death toll during January unrest. Nationwide protests erupted in response to soaring inflation and a national currency crisis.
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, often viewed as a bellwether for the complex diplomatic currents between the Kremlin and the West, has issued a startling prediction regarding the endgame of the war in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Washington would withdraw its support for Iraq if former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is returned to power, citing concerns over governance, stability and regional influence.
A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd M. Lyons to appear in court on Friday and explain why he should not be held in contempt for failing to comply with multiple court orders, officials said.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stressed to U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on Tuesday the importance of unifying international efforts to prevent the return of "terrorist groups", including Islamic State.
Millions of people in Britain are struggling to afford basic necessities, with a new report warning that the number living in the deepest levels of poverty has reached a 30-year high, driven by soaring housing costs and rising child poverty.
India and the European Union have finalised a long-pending trade deal, both sides said on Tuesday, calling it the “mother of all deals” as they seek to hedge against uncertainty in U.S. trade ties.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment