A federal court in Virginia ruled on Thursday (April 17) that tech giant Google violated antitrust laws by illegally establishing monopoly power in its online advertising business.
In this landmark case, Judge Leonie Brinkema sided with the Department of Justice (DOJ), marking the US government's second major legal victory against Google in recent months. Previously, the DOJ had won a case accusing Google of unlawfully monopolizing key parts of the internet ecosystem, including online search.
Google is expected to appeal the ruling, a process that could take years before a final decision is reached. If Google ultimately loses, its US$31 billion advertising business may be forced to break up.
Additionally, Google is facing a collective lawsuit in the UK, where it has been accused of abusing its "near-total dominance" in the online search market to inflate prices. The claim seeks over £5 billion (approximately HK$51.4 billion) in damages.
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