Google gets away almost scot-free in US search antitrust case
2 days ago
- #Search Market
- #Antitrust
- Judge Amit Mehta ruled Google violated the Sherman Antitrust Act but imposed minimal penalties.
- Google must share some search data with rivals but can still maintain paid search agreements.
- Google's market dominance in search is highlighted, with 90% market share and $146 billion in ad revenue.
- The ruling contrasts with historical antitrust cases like IBM, where stricter measures were taken.
- Potential impacts of forcing Google to divest Chrome or Android are discussed, including industry chaos.
- Chrome's dominance and Firefox's reliance on Google payments are noted.
- AI-powered search alternatives like Perplexity and ChatGPT are mentioned as emerging competitors.
- Experts view the ruling as a victory for Google, with Alphabet's stock rising 11% post-decision.
- The EU fined Google $3.5 billion for ad monopoly abuse, but it's a small fraction of its revenue.