US Court Nears Ruling on Google Search, Ad-Tech Monopolies

The landmark antitrust trial against Google is in its remedy phase, with U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta set to issue a ruling expected in August that could reshape the internet search and advertising markets. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed drastic measures including forcing Google to divest its Chrome browser, Android OS, and ad tech platforms like AdX and DFP, aiming to restore competition in search, browsers, and digital advertising. Google strongly opposes these proposals, arguing they are radical, would harm users and businesses, and would force the company to share sensitive information with competitors, while maintaining that its default search agreements with platforms like Apple and Mozilla are standard industry practice. Testimony revealed that rival firms such as Yahoo and OpenAI are interested in acquiring Chrome to gain a competitive edge and develop AI-driven search experiences. Additionally, Apple's testimony highlighted a recent drop in Safari search traffic, raising questions about Google's market dominance, although Google disputes losing its top position. The DOJ also seeks remedies to increase transparency in Google's ad markets by granting competitors access to advertising data, with expert testimony supporting these measures as beneficial and cost-effective for advertisers.