The highly anticipated antitrust trial between the U.S. Justice Department and Google has concluded, with the presiding judge now set to make a crucial decision on whether the tech giant’s actions violated civil antitrust law. This case challenges Google’s dominance in web search and related advertising, with the potential to significantly impact the future of the internet.
During the closing arguments, both the Justice Department and Google presented their final cases to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. The government’s lawyer, David Dahlquist, argued that Google’s advertising revenue is the foundation of its monopoly power, alleging the company has illegally abused this position to boost profits. In response, Google’s lawyer, John Schmidtlein, emphasized the advertising prowess of rival platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, and maintained that Google continuously innovates its search advertising products.
A key point of contention was the competitive landscape of search advertising. Judge Mehta grilled both sides on whether platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are viable alternatives for advertisers, a central issue he must resolve in determining if Google’s conduct violated antitrust laws.
The trial, which began on September 12, 2023, was initiated by the Trump administration and marks the first of several actions taken by President Joe Biden’s antitrust enforcers to rein in the market power of tech giants. Cases against Amazon.com and Apple Inc. have also been filed under the Biden administration. As the judge prepares to render his decision, the outcome of this landmark case could have far-reaching implications for the future of the internet and the competitive dynamics within the tech industry.
