Google is a search engine monopoly – at least in the US

View of Google logo on its corporate offices in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, October 21, 2020.
View of Google logo on its corporate offices in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, October 21, 2020.
Anthony Behar/Reuters

A US judge has ruled that tech giant Google “is a monopolist” and “has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.” Judge Amit Mehta found that Google had violated the Sherman Act by monopolizing the market for internet search in the case brought to the courts by the federal Department of Justice.

The court found that Google had used its monopoly powers by way of striking deals to make its search the default on browsers, meaning users were far less likely to use alternative services. Google’s monopoly power allowed it to jack up the prices it charged its advertising clients.

The ruling did not include any remedies – that comes later – leaving the question of “So what?” open. Google, no surprise, plans to appeal, which means it’s going to be months – or more – before things are sorted. The case could even end up before the Supreme Court.

But Americans won’t be the only ones waiting to see what anti-competition laws and rulings make of Google’s future. A Canadian investigation into the company has been ongoing since 2020. In February, the Competition Bureau won a court order to gather more information into the company’s ad practices and subsequently expanded its investigation – but as the US ruling comes down, it’s anyone’s best guess when Canada might follow suit, and how.

More from GZERO Media

From left, FBI Director Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, testify during the House Select Intelligence Committee hearing titled “Worldwide Threats Assessment,” in Longworth building on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The witnesses fielded questions on the Signal chat, about attacks against Houthis in Yemen, that accidentally included a reporter.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA

The Signal-gate repercussions continue, after The Atlantic published screenshots of senior White House officials discussing war plans over the messaging app.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro walks after the Supreme Court voted that he should stand trial for allegedly attempting a coup after his 2022 electoral defeat, in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 26, 2025.
REUTERS/Adriano Machado

The Supreme Court ordered the former president to stand trial for his alleged efforts to overturn the last election, raising the prospect of the 70-year-old ending up behind bars and imperiling his hopes of running for office in 2026.

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan gestures to soldiers inside the presidential palace after the Sudanese army said it had taken control of the building in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, on March 26, 2025.
Sudan Transitional Sovereignty Council/Handout via REUTERS

The Sudanese Army says it has captured full control of Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group it has been battling in a brutal civil war for over two years. The army has seized key locations, including the presidential palace and the airport.

NPR's Katherine Maher and PBS's Paula Kerger are sworn in at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2025.
Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

House Republicans openly questioned whether public news outlets should receive $535 million in federal funds.

- YouTube

The Signal chat leak about bombing the Houthis is serious, but what it reveals is even more troubling, according to Ian Bremmer. Trump’s advisers are debating major decisions behind closed doors… but the president might never hear them. In this Quick Take, Ian explains why that’s a global risk.

Protesters take part in a demonstration march ending in front of the US consulate, under the slogan, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people,” in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 15, 2025.
Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS

US Second Lady Usha Vance canceled plans to attend Greenland’s biggest dog-sledding race and visit historical sites after officials in Nuuk and Copenhagen balked at an uninvited trip from an official delegation. Vice President JD Vance will now join his wife on the trip.

Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on March 26, 2025.
REUTERS/Stringer

Hundreds of Palestinian protesters took part in the largest anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza since the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.