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**Google in Trouble: Found Guilty of Anti-Competitive Practices**
Google has been found guilty of anti-competitive practices related to its search engine, particularly through contracts that mandate its search engine as the default program on devices, according to a ruling issued Monday by a judge in Washington.
The judge, as per documents reviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP), stated, “After careful consideration of the testimonies and evidence, the court has concluded that Google is a monopoly and has acted in a manner that maintains that monopoly.”
The ruling also highlighted that “the distribution agreements signed by Google capture a significant share of the search engine market and prevent other companies from competing with it.”
**Violating Competition Law**
The U.S. Department of Justice deemed this practice a violation of competition law, arguing that these contracts are illegal, especially since Google’s search tool has become overwhelmingly dominant in the market.
A new hearing is expected to be held to determine the fine to be imposed on the company.
It is noteworthy that the American group was accused of paying up to $26 billion last year alone to ensure that its search engine remained the default on various smartphones and web browsers.
**Google’s Response**
During the trial held in early May in Washington, the judge expressed doubts that the government had proven that these agreements do not comply with U.S. competition law.
However, he also questioned Google’s claims, wondering how a rival search engine could afford to pay more to Apple for the primary spot on its devices.
Google argued that searches conducted via Amazon, Facebook, or even Expedia (a travel company) were competing with its search engine, a claim the judge also questioned.
—by/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚