DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Verizon executive testifies Google search always pre-installed on mobile phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Diane Bartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Monday questioned a Verizon executive about the company’s decision to always pre-install Google’s Chrome browser with Google search on its mobile phones, as the government sought to show that Alphabet’s Google broke antitrust law to maintain its dominance in online search. Antonio Rangel, who teaches behavioral biology at the California Institute of Technology, testified last week that people are likely to stick with defaults like search engines or map apps on computers and mobile phones. In response, Google lawyer John Schmidtlein showed the court data indicating that users happily stick with Google’s search engine when pre-installed on their devices but switch away from others they like less. Companies have defended themselves by emphasizing that their services are free, as in the case of Google, or inexpensive, as in the case of Amazon.com. He may decide simply to order Google to stop practices he has found to be illegal or he may order Google to sell assets.

Persons: Arnd, Brian Higgins, “, Google’s, James Kolotouros, Antonio Rangel, John Schmidtlein, Trump, Judge Amit Mehta Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, Verizon, Google, California Institute of Technology, Companies Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Washington, California, U.S

☆ Google argued during its antitrust trial that Android users can switch default search engines with a couple of clicks. An expert testified it took him 10 steps.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Google's antitrust trial is in full swing. However, one expert testified that switching from Google to Bing on an Android 12 was a 10-step process. Chris Barton, who worked for Google from 2004 to 2011, testified that he made it a priority to negotiate for Google to be the default search engine on mobile devices. He said he acquired an Android 12 phone and studied the process required to replace the Google search engine with Bing; it took 10 steps. Barton, however, testified that Google wasn't the only search engine seeking default status with phone companies.

Persons: Bing, Chris Barton, Antonio Rangel, Rangel, Barton, Microsoft's Bing, Trump, Judge Amit Mehta, Sundar Pichai, Larry Page, Eddy, Hal Varian Organizations: Google, Service, U.S . Justice Department, California Institute of Technology, Bing, Yahoo, Verizon, Justice Department, Inc, Apple Locations: Wall, Silicon, WASHINGTON, Germany, Austria, , California

An illuminated Google logo is seen inside an office building in Zurich, Switzerland December 5, 2018. Rangel discussed how consumers were likely to stick with browsers on computers and mobile phones that were pre-installed as the default application. John Schmidtlein, a lawyer for Google, during cross-examination of Rangel, pointed out that a significant number of user search queries went to Google even when another search engine was the default. Google's clout in search, the government alleges, has helped Google build monopolies in some aspects of online search advertising. Search is free, so Google makes money through advertising.

Persons: Arnd, Antonio Rangel, Rangel, John Schmidtlein, Judge Amit Mehta, Diane Bartz, Mark Potter, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Justice Department, California Institute of Technology, Apple, Mozilla, Google, Big Tech, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, U.S

First out of the gate, the government questioned a former Google executive, Chris Barton, about billion-dollar deals with mobile carriers and others that helped make Google the default search engine. Google's clout in search, the government argues, has helped Google build monopolies in some aspects of online search advertising. In revenue-sharing deals with mobile carriers and Android smartphone makers, Google pressed for its search to be the default and exclusive. If Microsoft's search engine Bing was the default on an Android phone, Barton said, then users would have a "difficult time finding or changing to Google." Barton said on his LinkedIn profile that he was responsible for leading Google's partnerships with mobile carriers like Verizon (VZ.N) and AT&T, estimating that the deals "drive hundreds of millions in revenue."

Persons: Chris Barton, Barton, Bing, Hal Varian, John Schmidtlein, Judge Amit Mehta, Mehta, Diane Bartz, Nick Zieminski, Richard Chang, Howard Goller Organizations: Justice, Google, Inc, Apple, Mozilla, Verizon, Big Tech, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: U.S

Chris Barton, who was at Google from 2004 to 2011, said that the company was quick to see the advantage of people using Google search on Palm devices and early versions of smartphones. "As we recognized the opportunity for search on mobile phones we began to build a product team," he said. Dintzer also said that Google manipulated auctions for internet ads in order to raise prices for advertisers. Since search is free, Google makes its money via advertising. He may decide simply to order Google to stop practices he has found to be illegal or he may order Google to sell assets.

Persons: Chris Barton, Barton, Department's Kenneth Dintzer, Dintzer, John Schmidtlein, Hal Varian, Amit Mehta, Diane Bartz, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Justice Department, Google, Verizon, AT, DOJ, Justice, Apple, Mozilla, Big Tech, Microsoft, Thomson

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department pressed ahead with its antitrust case against Google Wednesday, questioning a former employee of the search engine giant about deals he helped negotiate with phone companies in the 2000s. Chris Barton, who worked for Google from 2004 to 2011, testified that he made it a priority to negotiate for Google to be the default search engine on mobile devices. Google counters that it dominates the internet search market because its product is better than the competition. And Barton testified that Google wasn't the only search engine seeking default status with phone companies. Google has emerged as the dominant player in internet searches, accounting for about 90% of the market.

Persons: Chris Barton, Barton, Microsoft's Bing, Trump, Judge Amit Mehta, Sundar Pichai, Larry Page, Eddy, Hal Varian, ____ Michael Liedtke Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice Department, Google, Yahoo, Verizon, Justice Department, Inc, Apple Locations: U.S, , California

☆ DOJ fights uphill battle; Google a losing one
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The government, in its opening statements, argued that the $1.7 trillion company’s search engine partnerships illegally protected its monopoly, harming consumers. The problem for the DOJ is that consumers readily dole out their data, and not just to Google. Device manufacturers and browser creators choose Google because it’s the highest quality option, and users can easily pick another default search engine, John Schmidtlein, Google’s lead lawyer, argued. The government’s lawyers have their work cut out for them, but a DOJ loss won’t mean a Google victory. The company’s partnerships may set Google as the default search engine on devices and browsers, but users can usually change their default option with a few clicks.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Jonathan Kanter, Kenneth Dintzer, Dintzer, Amit Mehta, John Schmidtlein, Google’s, DOJ doesn’t, Google's, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: U.S . Justice, Alphabet's Google, Justice Department, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, Alphabet’s, Google, DOJ, Microsoft, Court, Big Tech, Alphabet’s Google, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON (AP) — Google will confront a threat to its dominant search engine beginning Tuesday when federal regulators launch an attempt to dismantle its internet empire in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century. If he decides Google broke the law, another trial will decide what steps should be taken to rein in the Mountain View, California-based company. Political Cartoons View All 1152 ImagesGoogle counters that it faces a wide range of competition despite commanding about 90% of the internet search market. One possibility is that the company could be forced to stop paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine on smartphones and computers. Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones.

Persons: Judge Amit Mehta, Sundar Pichai, Larry Page, Eddy, Trump, Microsoft's Bing, Andy Bechtolsheim, Page, Sergey Brin, Justice Department's, litigator Kenneth Dintzer — Organizations: WASHINGTON, Google, Inc, Apple, Justice Department, Firefox, Regulators, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Netscape, Justice Locations: , California, Silicon

☆ Landmark Google trial opens with sweeping DOJ accusations of illegal monopolization
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Also being called anticompetitive are Google’s contracts to ensure that Android devices come with Google apps and services — including Google search — preinstalled, the Justice Department claimed. For Google’s opening statement, attorney John Schmidtlein said that Apple’s decision to make Google the default search engine in its Safari browser demonstrates how Google’s search engine is the superior product consumers prefer. The Google case “could not be more different” from the historic Microsoft litigation at the turn of the millennium, Schmidtlein continued. Google has previously said that consumers choose Google’s search engine because it is the best and that they prefer it, not because of anticompetitive practices. Google’s search business provides more than half of the $283 billion in revenue and $76 billion in net income Google’s parent company, Alphabet, recorded in 2022.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Google’s, Kenneth Dintzer, ” Dintzer, John Schmidtlein, Apple, ”, Schmidtlein, Bing, General Merrick Garland, Anna Moneymaker, ” Schmidtlein, “, Kent Walker, Ken Buck, Trump, Global Affairs Kent Walker, Biden, Amit Mehta, Mehta Organizations: CNN, Google, Justice Department, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, DOJ, Netscape, Gmail, U.S, The Justice Department, Global Affairs, Court, District of Columbia, Eastern, of Locations: United States, Washington, Apple . WASHINGTON, DC, Washington ,, California , New York , Colorado, Virginia, Colorado, of Virginia

Consumers, Google's lawyers will argue, can delete the Google app from their devices or simply type Microsoft's Bing, Yahoo or DuckDuckGo into a browser to use an alternative search engine. They will argue that consumers stick with Google because they rely on it to answer questions and are not disappointed. In the first, Judge Amit Mehta will decide if Google has broken antitrust law in how it manages search and search advertising. If Google is found to have broken the law, Judge Mehta will then decide how best to resolve it. He may decide simply to order Google to stop practices he has found to be illegal or he may order Google to sell assets.

Persons: Bing, Amit Mehta, Judge Mehta, Diane Bartz, Jamie Freed Organizations: Google, The U.S . Justice, Apple Inc, Mozilla, Yahoo, Big Tech, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: United States, Washington, The

The U.S. government is taking aim at what has been an indomitable empire: Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has become the internet’s main gateway. That's what happened to Microsoft after its antitrust showdown with the Justice Department: Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones. From Google's perspective, the perpetual improvements explain why most people almost reflexively gravitate to its search engine, a habit that long ago made “Googling” synonymous with looking things up. The Justice Department contends Google's claim that it dominates the market by supplying the best search engine is a canard. Google insists that consumers could easily switch their default settings to another search engine.

Persons: Judge Amit Mehta, Sundar Pichai, Larry Page, Eddy, Mehta isn’t, Sergey Brin, Andy Bechtolsheim, Page, Brin, Trump, Microsoft's Bing, Bing Organizations: Washington D.C, Microsoft, U.S, Google, Stanford University, Sun Microsystems, Inc, Apple, Justice Department, U.S . Justice Department, Yelp, Department, Firefox, Regulators Locations: Washington, , California, Silicon, Colorado

DuckDuckGo, Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Yahoo are among a long list of Google competitors who will be watching the trial closely. “It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this case, particularly for monopolies and companies with significant market share,” antitrust lawyer Luke Hasskamp told Reuters. The lawsuit that goes to trial was brought by former President Donald Trump's Justice Department. read moreJudge Mehta will decide if Google has broken antitrust law in this first trial, and, if so, what should be done. Reporting by Diane Bartz; additional reporting by Mike Scarcella; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, DuckDuckGo, Kamyl Bazbaz, Luke Hasskamp, ”, Amit Mehta, Barack Obama, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden's, Mehta, Daniel McCuaig, Cohen Milstein, Diane Bartz, Mike Scarcella, Diane Craft Organizations: Google, REUTERS, U.S . Justice, Apple Inc, Mozilla, Microsoft, Yahoo, Big Tech, Facebook, Reuters, Apple, Twitter, Big, U.S, District of Columbia, Department, Android, U.S . Justice Department's Antitrust, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, WASHINGTON, United States, “

Google has grabbed a 90% market share in search in the U.S. in recent years, according to government estimates. Rather, the makers of phones and web browsers set Google search as their default because they wanted to deliver the "highest quality" experience for their customers, Google claimed in its January filing. The Justice Department has the burden to show that Google's business deals harmed competition for search. The trial court in that case found Microsoft unlawfully tried to block rival browser Netscape Navigator. The Google trial at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is expected to last about 10 weeks.

Persons: Alphabet's, Rather, Judge Amit Mehta, Barack Obama, Mehta, Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Stewart Rhodes, Mike Scarcella, Amy Stevens, Diane Craft Organizations: Microsoft, U.S . Justice Department, Apple, Google, Mozilla, The, Department, GOOGLE, Justice, DOJ, Netscape, U.S, District of Columbia, WHO, U.S . Foods, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S

☆ Google heads to court in a landmark trial that puts its search business in the crosshairs. Here's what's at stake.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It revolves around how Google pays partners to promote its search engine on their products. A law expert said the DOJ has a "pretty strong" case but has big hurdles to prove Google is liable. Much of the trial's outcome will be predicated on whether the deals Google made to promote its search engine excluded healthy competition. It's easy to switch your default search engine – we're long past the era of dial-up internet and CD-ROMs," Google's Walker said in a statement. It could also mirror a European Union decision to make Google give Android users a choice of search engine when they first set up their devices.

Persons: Harry First, Global Affairs Kent Walker, Amit Mehta, Google's Walker, William E, Kovacic, David Olson, Bing, Judge Mehta, Eddy, John Giannandrea, Adrian Perica, Sundar Pichai, Olson Organizations: Google, Department of Justice, DOJ, Service, Apple, Microsoft, NYU Law School, Global Affairs, George Washington University, Boston College, Reuters, Union, Street Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Google stands trial against US government officials in antitrust lawsuit over the company's accused search monopoly
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Google’s search business provides more than half of the $283 billion in revenue and $76 billion in net income Google’s parent company, Alphabet, recorded in 2022. Now, the company is set to defend itself in a multiweek trial that could upend the way Google distributes its search engine to users. WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 24: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference on a new antitrust lawsuit against Google at the Justice Department on January 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Justice Department and states including California, New York, Colorado and Virginia, have filed a lawsuit against Google over the company's monopolization of the market for online ads. Despite that ruling, the trial represents the US government’s furthest progress in challenging Google to date.

Persons: Trump, Eddy, ”, Global Affairs Kent Walker, Biden, General Merrick Garland, Anna Moneymaker, Amit Mehta, Mehta Organizations: CNN, Google, Microsoft, Justice Department, Samsung, Apple, Global Affairs, U.S, The Justice Department, LG, Motorola, Mozilla, Opera, Court, District of Columbia, Eastern, of Locations: Washington, WASHINGTON, DC, Washington ,, California , New York , Colorado, Virginia, United States, Colorado, of Virginia

[1/3] Peter Navarro, a White House economic adviser under former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to reporters outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2023. "The defendant choose allegiance to former President Trump over compliance with the subpoena," federal prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi told the jurors during closing arguments on Thursday. Navarro is a hawk on China policy who advised Trump on trade issues during his presidency and also served on the COVID-19 task force. Navarro became the second close associate of Trump to be convicted for spurning the committee after Steve Bannon was found guilty last year of contempt of Congress for similarly defying a subpoena and was sentenced to four months in prison. Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on the day that Congress met to certify Biden's victory, attacking police and sending lawmakers and others fleeing for safety.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Barrett, Julia Nikhinson, Donald Trump's, Navarro, Trump, Elizabeth Aloi, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Judge Amit Mehta, Stanley Woodward, Jack Smith, Joe Biden's, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Former U.S, Democratic, Trump, Republican, Justice Department, Congress, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Former, China, Washington

Peter Navarro, an advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to reporters as he arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on September 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. A jury on Thursday convicted former Trump White House trade advisor Peter Navarro of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress. Navarro faces up to a year in prison, and U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta scheduled his sentencing for January 12. Woodward argued that prosecutors had failed to give evidence of where Navarro was physically at the time he was due to appear before the select House committee. Another former top Trump White House aide, Steve Bannon, was convicted last year of two counts of contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas issued by the House committee.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Barrett Prettyman, Attorney Elizabeth Aloi, Navarro, —, Amit Mehta, Aloi, Stan Woodward, Woodward, Trump, Joe Biden, Steve Bannon, Bannon Organizations: Attorney, Trump White House, University of California Locations: Washington ,, U.S, Irvine

☆ Former Trump Adviser Navarro Convicted of Contempt of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"The defendant choose allegiance to former President Trump over compliance with the subpoena," federal prosecutor Elizabeth Aloi told the jurors during closing arguments on Thursday. Navarro became the second close associate of Trump to be convicted for spurning the committee after Steve Bannon was found guilty last year of contempt of Congress for similarly defying a subpoena and was sentenced to four months in prison. The panel sought to interview Navarro about a plan devised by him and other Trump allies, dubbed the "Green Bay Sweep," to delay Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Navarro had said publicly that he was protecting the presidency by not sharing information with Congress. Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on the day that Congress met to certify Biden's victory, attacking police and sending lawmakers and others fleeing for safety.

Persons: Andrew Goudsward, Sarah N, Lynch WASHINGTON, Donald Trump's, Peter Navarro, Navarro, Trump, Elizabeth Aloi, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Judge Amit Mehta, Stanley Woodward, Jack Smith, Joe Biden's, Scott Malone, Will Dunham Organizations: Former U.S, Democratic, Trump, Republican, Justice Department, Congress, Capitol Locations: Former, China, Washington

☆ US prosecutors urge jurors to convict Trump ex-adviser Navarro for contempt of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The House committee wanted to interview Navarro about a plan that was devised by Trump allies to delay Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. The committee ultimately issued the findings from its investigation in December 2022 without getting the chance to interview Navarro. "Congress believed that Mr. Navarro had information about what happened on Jan. 6, or more specifically about why it happened," Crabb said. "So Congress issued Mr. Navarro a subpoena. Steve Bannon, another key associate of Trump, was convicted last year of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the same committee and sentenced to four months in prison.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Donald Trump's, Navarro, Mr, John Crabb, he's, " Navarro, Trump, Joe Biden's, Jan, " Crabb, Judge Amit Mehta, Stan Woodward, Woodward, Steve Bannon, Sarah N, Lynch, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, U.S . Capitol, White, Democratic, House, Capitol, Trump's, Trump, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, China, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jury selection began Tuesday in the case against former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was charged with contempt of Congress after he refused to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro, a former economics professor, served as a White House staffer under then-President Donald Trump and later promoted the Republican's baseless claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election he lost. Navarro has said that Trump invoked executive privilege, barring him from cooperating with the House Jan. 6 committee. Navarro, who has pleaded not guilty, was the second Trump aide to face criminal charges after former White House adviser Steve Bannon. The House Jan. 6 committee’s final report said Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Navarro, Trump, Judge Amit Mehta, White, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Joe Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, Trump White House, U.S . Capitol, White, U.S, Trump, Washington , D.C, Democrat, Capitol Locations: Washington ,, Georgia

CNN —Former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro goes on trial Tuesday as the second ex-aide to former President Donald Trump to be prosecuted for criminal contempt of Congress. With the judge finding that Trump did not make a formal invocation of privilege, Navarro will be severely limited in the defenses he can put in front of the jury. It declined to prosecute former Trump White House officials Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino, who were also subpoenaed by the committee and referred by the House to the Justice Department for contempt. Navarro told reporters outside the courthouse last week that his legal bills, including appeals of the case, would exceed $1 million. This is the same suit I wore in 2017 going into the White House,” he said.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Navarro, Trump, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Amit Mehta, ” Navarro, he’d, crosshairs Navarro, Jared Kushner, Mehta, Prosecutors, –, ” Mehta, Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, ” Organizations: CNN, Former White House, US, Appeals, Justice Department, Trump, Trump White House, National Archives, Prosecutors Locations: Washington, DC, China, Navarro’s

☆ Apple execs lose bid to block testimony at Google antitrust trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three senior Apple executives have lost their bid to stop the U.S. Justice Department from calling them as witnesses in the government's upcoming trial accusing Alphabet's Google of abusing its search power. Cue oversees Apple Music, Apple TV and other services. The Justice Department declined to comment. Google and its lawyers have denied any wrongdoing in the case, one of two Justice Department antitrust lawsuits against Google. The case is United States v. Google, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No.

Persons: Alphabet's, Eduardo Cue, John Giannandrea, Adrian Perica —, Judge Amit Mehta, Perica, John Schmidtlein, Mehta, Apple Organizations: Apple Computers, Apple, U.S . Justice, Washington , D.C, U.S, Companies, Cue, Apple Music, Google, Justice Department, District of Columbia, APM Locations: Silicon Valley, Cupertino , California, Washington ,, Mehta's court, United States, U.S

☆ Judge narrows Trump-era Google antitrust case brought by states and the Justice Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Mehta’s decision is an 11th-hour victory for Google in a case brought jointly by state attorneys general and the federal government. The Justice Department sued the company during the Trump administration over its dominant position in online search. The lawsuit by the states, which followed two months later, had been consolidated with the US government’s case. The effects of being the default search provider on browsers and smartphones “is a hotly disputed issue in this case,” Mehta wrote. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who led the charge on the states’ initial lawsuit, said he was pleased the case will still proceed to trial.

Persons: Judge Amit Mehta, Trump, Biden, Yelp, Mehta, ” Mehta, ”, Kent Walker, Department didn’t, Phil Weiser, “, ” Weiser Organizations: Washington CNN, Google, Court, District of, The Justice Department, Microsoft, Facebook, Justice Department, Department Locations: District of Columbia, Colorado

☆ Judge narrows case in Google antitrust suits brought by states and DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A federal judge narrowed the case that states and the Department of Justice can make in the antitrust trial against Google beginning in September, according to a newly-released decision. The cases both alleged that Google illegally maintained a monopoly by cutting off rivals from search distribution channels. The DOJ and a bipartisan group of AGs from 38 states and territories, led by Colorado and Nebraska, filed similar but separate antitrust suits against Google in 2020. In addition to the allegedly exclusionary contracts for search distribution, the states alleged that Google also violated antitrust law through its product to buy search ads and the way it designed its search results pages. But they will no longer be able to bring the claim that Google harmed competition by designing its search results to push down search engine competitors' results, the judge decided.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, It's, Amit Mehta, Mehta, Google's, Kent Walker, Phil Weiser Organizations: Department, Justice, Google, D.C, Department of Justice, DOJ, AGs, Colorado and, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Street Locations: Rayburn, Washington ,, Colorado, Colorado and Nebraska

Google (GOOGL.O) had asked for summary judgment on all the government's claims in the case, which is to go to trial next month. Google said Friday it appreciated the court's "careful consideration and decision to dismiss claims regarding the design of Google Search" in the case brought by the state attorneys general. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised the decision to allow the states Google search antitrust suit to proceed to trial. Mehta noted Google LLC operates the largest U.S. internet general search engine whose "brand name has become so ubiquitous that dictionaries recognize it as a verb." He noted Google in 2020 had nearly 90% market share and advertisers spend over $80 billion annually alone to reach general search users.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Judge Amit Mehta, Google's, Mehta, William Tong, Tong, Trump, Judge Mehta, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Diane Craft Organizations: Google, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Justice Department, Big Tech, Microsoft Corp, Apple, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Verizon, Mozilla, Justice, Department, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, WASHINGTON, U.S, Washington, Connecticut, Virginia

Search resuls for: "Amit Mehta"

25 mentions found