Google has appealed a major antitrust ruling from a US district judge over its search business. The court found that the company unlawfully maintained dominance in online search markets.
Google said users choose its services freely rather than through obligation. Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president for regulatory affairs, responded to the August 2024 decision. She said the ruling misunderstood why people rely on Google products.
Company disputes judge’s assessment of competition
Google announced the appeal on Friday and criticised Judge Amit Mehta’s conclusions. The company said the ruling ignored the pace of technological innovation. It also said the court underestimated competitive pressure across digital markets.
Google asked the court to pause enforcement of the ordered remedies. Some observers already viewed those measures as limited in scope. Google said immediate enforcement would create unnecessary disruption.
Judge acknowledges AI impact but rejects breakup
Judge Mehta recognised rapid changes in Google’s business when he issued remedies in September. He wrote that advances in generative artificial intelligence reshaped the case.
He rejected a government request to break up Google. That proposal included forcing a spin-off of Chrome, the world’s most widely used browser.
Instead, the judge ordered narrower corrective actions. Those measures required Google to share specific data with competitors approved by the court.
Search index sharing sparks opposition
The shared data would include parts of Google’s search index. That index functions as a vast map of online content.
Judge Mehta also ordered Google to let certain rivals display its search results. He said the move would give smaller companies time and resources to innovate.
Mulholland criticised those requirements on Friday. She said forced data sharing and syndication threatened user privacy and weakened incentives to innovate.
Regulatory pressure grows alongside AI push
Google has sharply increased investment in artificial intelligence projects. Regulators have intensified scrutiny of how those tools affect competition and publishers.
Last month, the European Union opened an investigation into Google’s AI summaries. Those summaries appear above standard search results.
The European Commission said it would examine Google’s use of website content. It also questioned whether publishers received fair compensation. Google said the inquiry risked hindering innovation in a competitive market.
This week, Google parent Alphabet reached a market value of four trillion dollars. Only three other companies have ever reached that milestone.
