What the Google monopoly ruling means for the internet

Google illegally exploited its online search monopoly to crush competition and stifle innovation, according to a landmark court ruling on Monday. Google was sued in 2020 by the US Department of Justice over its roughly 90 per cent control of the internet search market, a monopoly that allows it to charge advertisers higher prices than it would in a competitive market. Four years on, the 286-page ruling represents the US government’s first major antitrust win against a tech company in decades. It’s not yet clear what the ruling will mean for Google or its parent company, Alphabet – a future hearing will decide on fines or other measures. The government has asked for “structural relief”, which could essentially mean breaking up the company by demanding the separation of Alphabet’s search business from other products like Chrome or Android. That could pose an existential threat to Google. AI-powered search engines will be rushing to compete.