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‘The case will not be influenced by the company’s self-promotion.’
Google Secures Partial Victory in Antitrust Case
Google has emerged with a partial victory in one of the antitrust cases it is currently facing. Federal Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and certain states cannot argue that Google is maintaining a monopoly by prioritizing its own products in search results over alternatives. The judge’s decision was based on the plaintiffs’ failure to demonstrate any “anticompetitive effect.” Additionally, Judge Mehta dismissed antitrust allegations related to Android’s compatibility, anti-fragmentation agreements, Google Assistant, internet of things devices, and the Android Open Source Project.
However, the DOJ is still permitted to present its remaining arguments, particularly concerning Google’s alleged abuse of power through agreements that require Android manufacturers to pre-load Google apps and set Google as the default search engine in their mobile browsers. The concern is that such agreements hinder the adoption of rival search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo.
In response to the ruling, Google’s President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, expressed appreciation for the judge’s careful consideration in dismissing the search-related issues. Walker emphasized that users choose Google because of its helpfulness and maintained that the company would demonstrate in court that its other practices are both competitive and lawful. The DOJ has yet to provide a comment on the matter.
The lawsuit, which was filed by the DOJ and partner states in 2020, did not specify any penalties at the time. However, possible punishments could include fines, business restrictions, or the division of Google into separate companies. Google defended itself by arguing that it still engages in negotiations and faces competition from platforms like Twitter (now X) and Expedia.
It is worth noting that this is not the only antitrust case against Google in the United States. A coalition of states filed a lawsuit in 2020, alleging anticompetitive ad pricing. The narrowed scope of the case, resulting from Judge Mehta’s ruling, may present additional challenges and limit the potential damages that could be sought.