DOJ's Landmark Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google

The government has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant has been engaging in anti-competitive behavior to stifle rivals in the search engine market. Google's partnerships with phone makers and internet browser companies are said to give the company an unfair advantage by making its search engine the default option on most devices. With a 90% share of the search engine market in the US (91% globally), Google's dominance is largely attributed to its agreements with companies like Apple, Mozilla, and Samsung.

The government argues that the payments Google makes to these partners to maintain its position as the default search engine are anti-competitive and shut out competitors from the market. Google, on the other hand, denies the allegations and insists that its popularity is a result of the quality of its search engine. The company claims that customers have the freedom to choose other search engines but opt for Google due to its effectiveness.

This case marks a significant moment as it is the first time a tech giant has faced monopoly charges since Microsoft over two decades ago. The outcome of the trial will be crucial in determining the extent to which US regulators can control the power of large tech companies over the internet and modern infrastructure.