Recently, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia declared that Google’s business practices unlawfully restricted competition, breaching federal antitrust laws.
The court’s ruling found that Google maintained an illegal monopoly over two areas of internet activity in the United States: general search services and general text advertising.
This was achieved through exclusive distribution agreements, violating the Sherman Antitrust Act’s Section 2, which was established in 1890 by President Benjamin Harrison to prohibit attempts to monopolize markets.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the court’s ruling by proclaiming, “A federal court ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly by exploiting its dominance to squash competition and hamper innovation.”
“Google engaged in anticompetitive trade practices to monopolize internet search engines and advertisements,” he added. “I’m proud to lead this case and deliver another major win against Big Tech.”
According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta has set a follow-up hearing for September 6 to initiate the next phase of legal proceedings.
The legal conflict began in October 2020 when Paxton declared that the Texas government had initiated a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of employing business tactics to stifle competition in search advertising and internet searches.
Joining Texas in filing this antitrust lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Justice and 10 states—Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and South Carolina—have formed a coalition against Google.
“Google’s anticompetitive business strategies have disrupted the competitive process, reduced consumer choice, and stifled innovation,” Paxton stated.
Paxton recently achieved a significant victory against Big Tech, securing a $1.4 billion settlement for Texas from Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
This marks the largest settlement obtained by a single state government and the biggest privacy settlement won by an attorney general. Meta is required to disburse the settlement over five years.
Despite being traditionally influenced by establishment Republicans, Texas politics has seen a shift towards populism, as exemplified by Ken Paxton using his AG position to challenge Big Tech’s overreach.
Other states should not only emulate Paxton’s actions but also intensify their efforts in confronting unscrupulous private entities.
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