The Justice Department and the Trump administration are suing Google for antitrust practices. But at this stage of the proceedings, it is too early to say for certain what ramifications this will have on customers and one of the largest tech companies in the world.
In a complaint from the Justice Department, Google has been accused of stifling competition in order to maintain its position as the leader in online search and search advertising. 11 states — Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Texas, and South Carolina — have joined the suit.
One of the allegations against Google is that the search company pays billions of dollars to companies like Apple, Samsung, and more to be their default search engine.
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However, it will be years before the case ends and customers who use Google will likely not see an immediate impact on the service. David Hoppe, Managing Partner at SF-based Media/Tech law firm Gamma Law tells IGN, “The core of the DOJ’s case relates to Google’s agreements with other parties, like Apple. It’s possible as the case proceeds that Google will back away from those agreements.”
Hoppe says, “From a consumer perspective, that may mean that mobile users will be presented with a choice of different search platforms rather than just being served Google as the default.”
At a briefing, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen did not rule out breaking up Google.
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Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Source: IGN.com Google Antitrust Lawsuit Is Too Early to Have an Impact on Users