What’s the Significance of the DOJ’s Google Antitrust Ruling?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A federal judge ruled on Monday that Google illegally monopolized online search and advertising, sparking media dialogue on what it could mean for the future of Google and big business.
DOJ Win: Jessica Guynn of USA Today (Lean Left bias) described the ruling as a “massive win” for the Justice Department and said it could reshape how the internet is used. Guynn said the DOJ’s actions demonstrate it is “making good on Donald Trump’s pledge to challenge the runaway power of Big Tech,” which the Biden administration has remained “aggressive” on.
Not A Monopoly: Hannah Cox, writing for Newsweek (Center bias), argued that Google is “not even close” to being a monopoly and is massively popular because of how effective it is. Cox said “no serious person could argue” that Google breached antitrust laws and criticized Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan for her Biden administration-backed “anti-capitalist” reign.
Capitalist Innovation: Iain Murray, writing for National Review (Right bias) argued that the ruling could be “moot” as many users are already switching away from Google and artificial intelligence is playing more of a role in how people acquire information. Murray described this scenario as one of the central problems of relying on antitrust to solve problems, writing, “What this means is a tale as old as the U.S. antitrust system — that by the time the court gets around to providing its solution, the market has already solved it itself.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
How Google's huge defeat in antitrust case could change how you search the internet
In the most significant legal ruling against a major technology giant in more than two decades, a federal judge says Google illegally monopolized online search and advertising by paying companies like Apple and Samsung billions of dollars a year to install Google as the default search engine on smartphones and web browsers.
By monopolizing search queries on smartphones and browsers, Google abused its dominance in the search market, throttling competition and harming consumers, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta said in his 286-page decision. Google owes much of its more than $300 billion in annual...
From the Center
Google Is No Monopoly. It's Widely Used Because It's the Best
On Monday, a federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust law and acted illegally in order to maintain its monopoly in online searches. There's just one glaring problem: Google isn't a monopoly—not even close.
In fact, there are over 30 other search engines in the world that are dedicated solely to search functionality, including Yahoo!, Bing, and Duck, Duck, Go. Additionally, websites like Amazon, TikTok, and Pinterest have placed increasing competition on Google in recent years as consumers have begun using these websites for all manner of searches, from products to DIY tutorials to...
From the Right
AI Could Make the Google Court Decision Moot
In a decision by the District Court of the U.S. District of Columbia, Google has been found guilty of monopolizing its leadership in online search by its exclusive deals with browser providers. These deals, the court says, entrenched a position it had won by being the best search engine, keeping competitors from being able to challenge its position. The decision relies on the fact that very few people take advantage of the ability to change their default browser search engines.
The court has not yet announced any remedies and is unlikely to...
AllSides Picks
September 12th, 2024
September 12th, 2024
More News about Business from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
