Google illegally maintains monopoly, rules US court: Here’s what it means

A federal judge ruled on Monday that Google violated the United States’ antitrust laws with its search business, delivering a significant blow to the tech giant that could transform how Americans access online information and disrupt its decades-long dominance. The court ruled that the search engine has illegally held a monopoly over search and text advertising.

This ruling from the US District Court for the District of Columbia marks a major criticism of Google’s primary business model. The company has invested billions in exclusive contracts to solidify its position as the default search engine on smartphones and web browsers worldwide.