The US government is set to conclude its antitrust case against Alphabet’s Google with closing arguments on Thursday.
This trial, which began on September 12, 2023, accuses Google of engaging in monopolistic practices and leveraging its power unlawfully to maintain dominance in online search.
Initiated during the Trump administration, this case is the first of several legal challenges aimed at curbing the market influence of major tech players.
The subsequent lawsuit against Meta was also filed during the Trump era, followed by additional cases brought forth by the Biden administration against Google, Amazon.com, and Apple Inc.
During the non-jury trial, witnesses including representatives from Verizon, Samsung Electronics, and Google itself testified about Google’s annual payments, totaling $26.3 billion in 2021, to secure its search engine as the default option on smartphones and web browsers, thereby preserving its market share.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the importance of default placement, emphasizing the value of maintaining user loyalty across devices.
Google’s defense has centered on the argument that its search engine’s popularity is a result of its quality rather than anti-competitive behavior. The company contends that dissatisfied users can easily switch to alternative search engines and that being the default option holds limited significance in retaining users against their will.
A federal judge will ultimately decide whether Google violated antitrust laws and determine any potential penalties.
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