Google has challenged a major antitrust decision from a US district judge over its search business. The court found the company unlawfully preserved dominance in online search markets.
Google said users choose its services voluntarily, not because they are forced. Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president for regulatory affairs, responded to the August 2024 ruling. She argued the court misjudged how people interact with Google products.
Company disputes court’s take on competition
Google announced the appeal on Friday and criticised Judge Amit Mehta’s conclusions. The company said the ruling ignored rapid technological innovation. It also said the decision underestimated competitive pressure from rivals.
Google requested a pause on implementing the ordered remedies. Some observers already viewed the measures as limited. Google warned that immediate enforcement could disrupt markets and innovation.
Judge cites AI impact but rejects breakup
Judge Mehta acknowledged rapid changes in Google’s business when issuing remedies in September. He noted that generative artificial intelligence reshaped the direction of the case.
He rejected a government request to break up Google. That plan included spinning off Chrome, the world’s most widely used browser.
Instead, the judge imposed narrower actions. Google must share selected data with competitors approved by the court.
Data sharing and syndication spark opposition
The shared data would include parts of Google’s search index. That index acts as a vast map of online content.
Judge Mehta also ordered Google to let certain rivals display its search results. He said the step would give smaller firms time and resources to innovate.
Mulholland criticised the requirements on Friday. She said mandatory data sharing and syndication threatened user privacy and discouraged innovation by competitors.
AI growth draws regulatory attention
Google has expanded investment in artificial intelligence across its products. Regulators have questioned 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 probe risks slowing 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.
