U.S. Justice Department and State Attorneys General vs. Google
• On August 5th, a federal judge ruled that Google lost search antitrust lawsuits.
• The judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized the online search and advertising markets, particularly through partnerships making Google the default search provider in popular platforms like Apple’s Safari.
• Judge Amit Mehta found Google guilty of monopolizing the search market and the market for ads displayed next to search results but ruled in favor of Google regarding the control over all search advertising, acknowledging competition from companies like Amazon.
• The ruling is seen as a significant victory for antitrust efforts against big tech companies, aligning with similar lawsuits against Meta, Amazon, and Apple. This case, originally filed in 2020, is likened to the historic antitrust case against Microsoft in the late 1990s.
• Google plans to appeal the decision, arguing that it merely made its superior search engine more accessible.
Rumble vs. Google
• Rumble, a video-sharing platform, sued Google in 2021, alleging that it favored its own YouTube video platform in search results and the Android operating system.
• Google urged the court to split the suit’s arguments and dismiss substantial parts of the reasoning. However, the Judge Haywood Gilliam from Northern District of California ruled against Google's request and allowed the case to proceed, stating the court "accept factual allegations in the complaint as true and construe the pleadings in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party”.
• Rumble filed a second lawsuit against Google in May 2024, alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, specifically related to Google’s control over the ad tech stack.
• The lawsuit accuses Google of monopolizing the ad tech market by acquiring companies and using its dominant position to create conflicts of interest, similar to insider trading, which unfairly benefits Google.
• Rumble claims that Google’s anti-competitive practices, including tying its products to lock in customers and colluding with Facebook, have harmed Rumble’s business.
• The suit seeks over $1 billion in damages and is distinct from an earlier lawsuit filed by Rumble in 2021, which accused Google of favoring its services, including YouTube, in search results and on Android devices.