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.
Mexico is suing Google for disregarding repeated requests to stop referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for U.S. users on Google Maps.
Google plans to appeal parts of a recent U.S. court ruling that found it had unlawfully maintained monopoly power in parts of the online ad market, specifically in publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, while the court dismissed other antitrust claims.
A U.S. federal judge has ruled that Google illegally built monopoly power in its online advertising business, siding with the Department of Justice in a landmark antitrust case that could force the tech giant to break up parts of its empire.
China has dismissed the recent decision by Google to rename parts of the disputed South China Sea, which now labels maritime areas near the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea.
Pavel Prass, co-owner of Yandex, is set to increase his stake in rival VK, signaling consolidation in Russia’s tech sector. The move follows a $5.4 billion deal for Yandex's assets and VK's plan to raise up to 115 billion roubles to tackle mounting debt.
Lithuania has taken legal action against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Minsk of organizing irregular migrant crossings and violating international obligations.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
In Malaysia, rivers are under threat from invasive fish species that have spread widely, harming native wildlife and local ecosystems.
China has openly supported Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland following renewed interest from US President Donald Trump in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed President Donald Trump's administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for around 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. Trump has also aimed to end TPS protections for Haitians, Afghans, and others.
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request from the Trump administration to lift protections under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially opening the door to future deportations while litigation continues.
Lithuania has taken legal action against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Minsk of organizing irregular migrant crossings and violating international obligations.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
Lithuania has taken legal action against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Minsk of organizing irregular migrant crossings and violating international obligations.
Indonesia has raised the alert level to the highest for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki after it erupted eight times over the weekend, the country’s volcanology agency said.
As South Western Railway becomes the latest operator to be renationalised under Great British Railways (GBR), questions remain about whether these changes will lead to better services or lower fares.
In Malaysia, rivers are under threat from invasive fish species that have spread widely, harming native wildlife and local ecosystems.
China has openly supported Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland following renewed interest from US President Donald Trump in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory.
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