Google has challenged a landmark antitrust ruling by a US district judge. The court found the company illegally held monopoly power in online search.
Google said users choose its services freely, not under pressure. Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president for regulatory affairs, responded to the August 2024 ruling. She said the court misrepresented why people rely on Google products.
Company disputes judge’s view on competition
Google announced the appeal on Friday and criticised Judge Amit Mehta’s conclusions. The company said the ruling ignored rapid technological innovation. It also argued the court underestimated competitive pressure from rivals.
Google requested a pause on enforcing the remedies. Some analysts described the measures as limited. Google warned that immediate implementation could disrupt markets and slow innovation.
Judge recognises AI impact but rejects breakup
Judge Mehta acknowledged fast changes in Google’s business when issuing remedies in September. He said generative artificial intelligence reshaped the case.
He rejected a government request to break up Google. That plan included spinning off Chrome, the world’s most widely used browser.
Instead, the judge imposed narrower measures. Google must share selected data with competitors approved by the court.
Orders to share search data face pushback
The shared data would include parts of Google’s search index. That index acts as a vast map of online content.
Judge Mehta also ordered Google to let certain rivals display its search results. He said the step would give smaller companies time and resources to innovate.
Mulholland criticised the requirements on Friday. She said forced data sharing and syndication threatened privacy and discouraged competitors from building independent products.
AI expansion draws regulatory scrutiny
Google has increased investment in artificial intelligence across its services. Regulators have raised concerns about how AI affects competition and publishers.
Last month, the European Union opened an investigation into Google’s AI summaries. Those summaries appear above standard search results.
The European Commission said it would examine Google’s use of website content. It also questioned whether publishers received fair compensation. Google said the inquiry risks slowing innovation in a competitive market.
This week, Google parent Alphabet reached a market value of four trillion dollars. Only three other companies have ever reached that milestone.
