Inside the DOJ's Antitrust Case Against Google Search
Federal prosecutors argue Google illegally maintained its search monopoly through exclusive deals and self-preferencing
The United States Department of Justice scored a landmark legal victory in 2024 when a federal judge ruled that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search. The case, United States v. Google LLC, exposed the extraordinary lengths to which Google went to ensure its search engine remained the default option on virtually every smartphone, browser, and device sold in America — paying an estimated $26 billion annually to Apple, Samsung, and other partners to lock in its position.
Judge Amit Mehta's ruling found that Google's exclusive default agreements with Apple and Android device manufacturers constituted anticompetitive behavior that foreclosed rivals from meaningful competition. The ruling noted that Google controlled approximately 90 percent of the general search market and 95 percent of mobile search, a dominance that the court found was maintained not solely through product quality but through contractual barriers that competitors could not overcome.
Key Takeaways
- A federal judge found Google illegally maintained its search monopoly through exclusive default agreements worth $26 billion annually
- Google controls roughly 90% of general search and 95% of mobile search in the US
- Proposed remedies include divesting Chrome, banning exclusive defaults, and sharing search index data with competitors
