A US District Court made a groundbreaking ruling, declaring Google a monopoly that has used its dominance in the online search market to stifle competition and prevent other search engines from gaining traction.
According to US District Judge Amit Mehta, Google’s market share in online search was nearly 90% in 2020, rising to almost 95% on mobile devices. This overwhelming lead has left Microsoft’s Bing, the second-place search engine, with only about 6% of search queries, significantly less than Google. Mehta emphasized that Google did not achieve its dominant position by chance.
Describing Google as a monopolist, Mehta stated that the company has taken deliberate actions to maintain its monopoly status.
The court’s decision highlighted that Google’s dominance has remained unchallenged for more than a decade, allowing the company to further solidify its position at the expense of its competitors.
Google Search, the flagship business of parent-company Alphabet, is both the oldest and most profitable division. A Google spokesperson confirmed that the company intends to appeal the court’s ruling.
Ken Walker, Google’s president of Global Affairs, acknowledged the court’s recognition of Google’s search engine quality but expressed concerns about the restrictions that may hinder its accessibility.
Source: www.computerworld.com