The DOJ concluded Google is a monopolist in search markets, after an investigation that lasted more than a year.
A long-awaited lawsuit: On 20 October 2020, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Google, together with the Attorney General of 11 US states. The DOJ believes the company is unlawfully maintaining monopolies in the search and search advertising markets through exclusionary and anticompetitive practices. The lawsuit follows an investigation that started in June 2019 and lasted over a year.
What’s being alleged? The Attorney General (AG) argues that Google has entered into exclusionary agreements that lock up the primary avenues through which users access search engines, and thus the internet, by requiring that Google be set as the preset default general search engine on billions of devices worldwide and, in many cases, prohibiting pre-installation of a competitor. In particular, the AG mentions the agreement with Apple to make Google the default search engine in the Safari browser, and the use of monopoly profits to buy preferential treatment on devices, browsers, and other search access points. The lawsuit does not specify any remedies to address these problems. The outcome of the lawsuit could also depend on the result of the upcoming US presidential election. A DOJ controlled by the Democrats could, for instance, decide to review the case.
A ‘deeply flawed’ lawsuit: In a statement, Google said it is a ‘deeply flawed’ lawsuit that would do nothing to help consumers, and argued that people use Google out of choice, not because they are forced to do so. Google noted that it is extremely easy to change the default search engines in most devices and browsers, including its own Google Chrome and Android, and that Google doesn’t come preloaded on Windows devices.
