US claims Google paid $10 billion to protect its monopoly

The US Department of Justice has accused Google of paying more than $10 billion a year to maintain its position as the default search engine on web browsers and mobile devices. The hearing in the largest "antitrust" case of the last 25 years, filed by the US Department of Justice against Google on the grounds that it is attempting to monopolize, began today. In his opening statement, Justice Department Attorney Kenneth Dintzer stated that the case in question is about the future of the internet and whether Google's search engine will face meaningful competition. Claiming that Google maintains its monopoly by spending billions of dollars a year to become the default search engine on web browsers, Dintzer said, "Google pays more than $10 billion a year for these privileged positions." Dintzer stated that Google collects data on the number of searches it processes, and that this data can be used to improve future searches and gain a greater advantage over its competitors. Google has denied claims that it uses its market power to illegally stifle rivals Google’s attorney John Schmidtlein said that companies choose Google as the default search engine for their browsers and smartphones because it is “the best,” and that this is not due to lack of competition. Schmidtlein said that users today have more search options and ways to access online information than ever before, adding that consumers use Google “not because they have to, but because it adds value to them.” Schmidtlein rejected claims that Google uses its market power to illegally stifle rivals, noting that users have options and that it is easy to switch. The hearings will continue for 10 weeks As part of the case, federal attorneys and state attorneys general will try to prove for 10 weeks that Google manipulated the market in its favor “by locking down its search engine as the default option on so many devices.” Washington District Judge Amit Mehta, who is hearing the case, is not expected to rule until early next year. In addition to the senior executives of Google’s parent company Alphabet, executives from other technology companies are also expected to testify. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is among those expected to testify. It is noted that the case in question is the biggest “antitrust” case of the last quarter century, following the case filed against Microsoft in the US in 1998. “Antitrust” case against Google In a statement made by the US Department of Justice on January 24, it was announced that an “antitrust” case was filed against Google in the Virginia Eastern District Court with the attorneys general of the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia. The statement, which stated that the company monopolizes many digital advertising technology products, alleged that Google uses anti-competitive, exclusionary and illegal methods to eliminate or seriously reduce any threats to its dominance in the sector. The statement, which stated that Google has neutralized or eliminated its ad technology competitors through acquisitions over the last 15 years, stated that the company used its dominance in the digital ad market to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products and prevented the use of rival products. The statement stated that Google has thus strengthened its dominance in the sector and also included the content of the company's anti-competitive behavior. The US Department of Justice also filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in 2020 for monopolizing search and search advertising.