Google maintained an illegal search monopoly through anticompetitive practices — DOJ won landmark ruling

Google's Illegal Monopoly: Conspiracy Theory Turned Court Ruling

For years, suggesting that Google rigged the search market was dismissed as anti-tech paranoia. Then the Department of Justice proved it in court.

The Ruling

In 2024, a federal judge ruled that Google illegally maintained its search engine monopoly. The company paid billions annually to Apple, Samsung, and browser makers to be the default search engine — effectively buying monopoly status and making competition impossible.

The Scale

Google controls over 90% of the search market. The DOJ proved this was not because of superior quality alone but because Google systematically blocked competitors from reaching users through exclusive default agreements.

The Remedy

The DOJ won significant remedies against Google, signaling the most aggressive antitrust enforcement against Big Tech in decades.