Google antitrust trial concludes as judge to decide on the case that can change the future of internet

The U.S. Justice Department and Google concluded their closing arguments on Friday in a significant antitrust case, addressing claims that Google unlawfully dominated web search and related advertising.

The government believes this case could influence the 'future of the internet'. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta questioned both sides extensively, focusing on whether platforms like ByteDance’s TikTok and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram are competitive alternatives for search advertising dollars.

The judge will now prepare to make a crucial decision on whether Google's actions violated civil antitrust law. Google's advertising business accounts for about three-quarters of its revenue, and the U.S. government lawyer David Dahlquist argued that 'advertising revenue is what drives Google’s monopoly power today'.

Google’s lawyer John Schmidtlein countered this by highlighting the advertising power of rival platforms and asserting that Google continually innovates its search advertising products. The trial started on Sept. 12, with the Justice Department asserting that Google is a monopolist that has illegally used its power to increase profits.

The case was initiated by the Trump administration and is the first of several aimed at curbing the market power of tech giants. Cases against Amazon.com and Apple Inc have also been filed by President Joe Biden's antitrust enforcers.