Alphabet’s Google announced plans to appeal a federal antitrust ruling that proposes less aggressive remedies than those sought by U.S. regulators to address its online search monopoly. The tech giant reaffirmed its stance on social media, stating, “We still strongly believe the Court’s original decision was wrong, and look forward to our eventual appeal.”
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta presided over the case in Washington, where final arguments were presented on proposed measures to counter Google’s illegal dominance in online search and advertising.
In April, the judge found that Google had unlawfully dominated segments of the digital advertising market. The U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of states have since pushed for Google to divest Google Ad Manager, including its ad server and ad exchange, as part of the remedy.
Regulators also seek to stop Google’s multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other smartphone manufacturers that ensure its search engine remains the default on new devices.
Concerns have grown over how Google’s control over search data gives it a head start in artificial intelligence development, especially with its AI platform Gemini.
Google attorney John Schmidtlein argued that the company has addressed these concerns by discontinuing exclusive contracts with carriers and device makers, such as Samsung, allowing for more competition from rival AI and search apps.
Swifteradio.com
