Google faces a significant loss in a major antitrust case regarding its search practices.

Google plans to appeal a U.S. District Court ruling that found it had acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search. Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia concluded that Google abused its monopoly power by paying companies like Apple to make its search engine the default choice on their devices and browsers. The Justice Department and several states filed the antitrust lawsuit against Google in 2020, which led to a trial starting in September 2023.

Google spends billions annually to secure its position as the default search engine on platforms like Apple and Android, with $26 billion spent in 2021 alone—$18 billion of that going to Apple. The government argued that these payments stifled competition, preventing other search engines from scaling up and competing effectively.

Judge Mehta ruled that Google is a monopolist and has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolizing or attempting to monopolize trade. Google’s president of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, announced the company’s intention to appeal, maintaining that Google’s search engine benefits consumers and advertisers due to its superior quality.

This decision could significantly impact Google’s business operations and the broader internet structure. The ruling may influence the outcome of other antitrust cases against tech giants, including a second DOJ suit against Google concerning digital ads, and cases against Apple, Meta, and Amazon. Judge Mehta has yet to determine the remedies for Google’s violations, which could include operational changes or selling parts of its business. The final verdict may evolve through appeals, similar to the Microsoft antitrust case in the early 2000s, where initial orders were modified on appeal but still led to significant changes in Microsoft's practices.