BUSINESS
Amerikaanse rechter vindt dat Google een illegaal zoekmonopolie heeft
August 6, 2024 - A U.S. judge rules that Google spends billions of dollars a year to run an illegal monopoly on online searches, leading to its dominance in hugely profitable online advertising.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that Google violated antitrust laws, spending billions of dollars to crush its competition and maintain a monopoly on online search and its related advertising earnings.
The judge commented that Google spent $26 billion in 2021 alone to ensure that its search engine was the default on smartphones and browsers.
The landmark decision is a major blow to Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and could change the landscape for online advertising businesses.
Globally, Google controls 91% of online searches on desktop, mobile, tablet and console. It’s nearest rival, bing, controls a paltry 3.4% of the market.
Alphabet says it intends to appeal Mehta’s ruling.
- Google has an illegal monopoly on search, U.S. judge finds (Reuters)
- U.S. judge describes how Google built and defended illegal search monopoly (Reuters)
- Google's online search monopoly is illegal, U.S. judge rules (BBC)
- Google loses landmark U.S. antitrust case over search dominance (Financial Times)
- Search engine market share worldwide (StatCounter)