United States v. Google LLC (2020)

This article is about the antitrust suit targeting Google's search engine practices. For the separate suit targeting Google's advertising technology practices, see United States v. Google LLC (2023). For other lawsuits, see United States v. Google.

United States v. Google LLC
CourtUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia
Full case name United States, State of Arkansas, State of Florida, State of Georgia, State of Indiana, Commonwealth of Kentucky, State of Louisiana, State of Mississippi, State of Missouri, State of Montana, State of South Carolina and State of Texas v. Google LLC
StartedOctober 20, 2020
DecidedAugust 5, 2024
Holding
Google LLC violates Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
Court membership
Judge sittingAmit P. Mehta

United States v. Google LLC is an ongoing federal antitrust case brought by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against Google LLC on October 20, 2020. The suit alleges that Google has violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 by illegally monopolizing the search engine and search advertising markets, most notably on Android devices, as well as with Apple and mobile carriers.[1][2]

The case was heard started in September 2023 in the District Court for the District of Columbia with judge Amit Mehta presiding.[3] Mehta ruled in August 2024, finding that Google held a monopoly on their search engine technology, and illegally used that position in securing Google's position with mobile device and website partners.[4][5] Proceedings to determine what remedies will be placed on Google are still to be held.

The lawsuit has been described as a "blockbuster antitrust trial",[6] and has been widely described as one of the most important federal antitrust lawsuit against a high-tech company since the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case in 1998.[7] Legal commentators anticipate that there will likely be an appeal, regardless of how the case is decided.[8] The outcome of the case is considered to have a potential bearing on the subsequently-filed federal antitrust suits against fellow "Big Tech" companies Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Apple.[9][10][11] The DOJ filed a second antitrust lawsuit against Google over the company's advertising market practices in 2023.[12]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Justice Department Sues Monopolist Google For Violating Antitrust Laws". Department of Justice. October 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  3. ^ "Google's search engine dominance is at the center of the biggest US antitrust trial in decades". AP News. September 11, 2023. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Barakat, Matthew; Liedtke, Michale (August 5, 2024). "Google illegally maintains monopoly over internet search, judge rules". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Feiner, Lauren (August 5, 2024). "Judge rules that Google 'is a monopolist' in US antitrust case". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  6. ^ Scarcella, Mike (September 11, 2023). "Explainer: Why is the US suing Google for antitrust violations?". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  7. ^ Feiner, Lauren (October 20, 2020). "Google sued by DOJ in antitrust case over search dominance". CNBC. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  8. ^ "What's next in Google's court battle with the US Justice Department?". Reuters. November 16, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Kerr, Dana (May 2, 2024). "U.S. v. Google: As landmark 'monopoly power' trial closes, here's what to look for". NPR. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024. The U.S. has also sued Amazon, Apple and Facebook parent Meta over business practices it says hurts both rivals and consumers. How the judge rules in this case could have far-reaching effects on how people use and interact with the internet.
  10. ^ Weiss, Geoff (May 2, 2024). "The future of Google — and Big Tech — hangs in the balance at trial". Business Insider. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  11. ^ McCabe, David (May 2, 2024). "Strongest U.S. Challenge to Big Tech's Power Nears Climax in Google Trial". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024. American regulators have also sued Apple, Amazon and Meta in recent years for monopolistic behavior, and Google's case is likely to set a legal precedent for the group.
  12. ^ Feiner, Lauren (January 24, 2023). "DOJ files second antitrust suit against Google, seeks to break up its ad business". CNBC. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2023.