A US judge dealt Google a major legal blow by ruling in a closely watched anti-trust case that the company had a monopoly with its dominant search engine.
District Court Judge Amit Mehta found that Google maintained a monopoly for search and text ads through exclusive distribution agreements that made it the default option on devices.
The judge stated that Google is a monopolist and has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.
This decision could potentially change how the tech sector operates in the future.
The anti-trust trial pitting US prosecutors against Google concluded in May, and it was the first of five major lawsuits by the US government to reach trial.
The trial was held in Washington and marked the first time the US Department of Justice has faced a big tech company in court since Microsoft was targeted more than two decades ago.
During the trial, testimony revealed that Google makes massive payments to companies like Apple to keep its search engine as the default on iPhones and other products.
Despite this, the judge concluded that Google’s violation of the Sherman Act did not have anti-competitive effects.
This case could have significant implications for the tech industry moving forward.
