A federal judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized online search and advertising, marking the most significant legal action against a tech company
Google was found to have abused its dominance by paying companies like Apple and Samsung billions to make Google the default search engine on their devices.
The judge stated that Google's actions throttled competition and harmed consumers, leveraging its monopoly to maintain dominance.
Google’s search ads are a significant part of its over $300 billion annual revenue, underscoring the impact of this ruling.
The decision could fundamentally change Google's business practices, including how it makes its search engine available
Shares in Google’s parent company, Alphabet, fell nearly 5% following the ruling, amidst a broader tech stock selloff.
The ruling may boost other pending antitrust cases against major tech companies like Amazon, Apple, and Meta.