In one of the most significant antitrust lawsuits in decades, US prosecutors will argue in federal court on Tuesday that Google behaved illegally to become the world’s most powerful search engine.
“This case is about the future of the internet and whether Google will ever face meaningful competition in search,” said Justice Department lawyer Kenneth Dintzer as the United States government began making its case against the tech titan.
According to the federal authorities, Google went into exclusive relationships with device makers and other companies, squeezing out competitors. It claims that by establishing its position as the default search engine on browsers and mobile phones, Google has denied newer startups the opportunity to flourish.
More than a dozen states have joined the lawsuit filed by the US government
“Two decades ago, Google became the darling of Silicon Valley as a scrappy start-up with an innovative way to search the emerging internet. That Google is long gone,” the government said in the 2020 lawsuit.
During previous President Donald Trump’s administration, the Justice Department filed the complaint. Amit Mehta, a US district judge, has dismissed numerous accusations made by states that Google’s search page prioritized the company’s own services above third-party sites, damaging competition.
The United States has stated that by going into exclusive arrangements, Google’s search engine will be the first thing that users see when they open their devices. Kent Walker, Google’s head of worldwide relations, attempted to downplay this by claiming that changing default search engines on browsers and Android devices is simple.
Google’s defense strategy: Consumer choice in antitrust lawsuit
During the lawsuit, Google will also argue that its search engine success is due to its superior quality versus competitors.
“We plan to demonstrate at trial that our search distribution agreements reflect choices by browsers and device makers based on the quality of our services and the preferences of consumers,” Mr. Walker wrote in a blog post dated September 8.
“Making it easier for people to get the products they want benefits consumers and is supported by American antitrust law.
“People don’t use Google because they have to – they use it because they want to.”
The case, which is anticipated to last ten weeks, may include testimony from former Google employees, Samsung staff, and Apple officials.
The administration of President Joe Biden filed its own antitrust action against Google in January over its digital advertising business.