US exposes how Google dominated searches in long-awaited antitrust trial

The United States argued on Tuesday that Google It flouted the rules in its efforts to maintain its dominance in online search, paying billions of dollars to ensure that smaller rivals never gained traction.

“This case is about the future of the Internet“, said Kenneth Dintzerarguing for the Department of Justice that Google began maintaining its monopoly illegally in 2010.

The Department of Justice accuses Google of paying billions of dollars annually to device makers like Apple Inc, mobile phone companies like AT&T and browser makers like Mozilla to keep their search engine at the top.

Without serious competition, Google innovated less and paid less attention to other concerns such as privacy, Dintzer said.

Google’s defense is simple: it argues that its overwhelming market share is not because it has broken the law, but because it is a fast and efficient search engine, as well as free.

Google lawyers will argue that consumers can delete the app from Google of your devices or simply type Bing from Microsoft, Yahoo either DuckDuckGo in a browser to use an alternative search engine. They will also argue that consumers stick with Google because they trust it to answer their questions and it doesn’t let them down.

The trial will begin this Tuesday in federal court in Washington DC and is expected to last up to 10 weeks. It has two phases. In the first, the judge Amit Mehta will decide if Google has violated antitrust legislation in the way it manages searches and search advertising.

If you are found to have broken the law, the judge will decide how best to resolve the case. You may decide to simply order Google to end practices it has deemed illegal or order it to sell assets.

Source: Reuters