The United States Justice Department (DOJ) filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for its alleged anticompetitive and exclusionary practices in the search realm so it could maintain an unlawful monopoly.

The DOJ cited Section 2 of the Sherman Act when it filed an antitrust lawsuit against the search business of the Mountain View-based Google. This particular provision of the law makes it unlawful for any entity to "monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the commerce or trade among several States, or with foreign nations." The DOJ also specifically mentioned the deal that Google had with Apple which allows the giant search engine to be the default search app in Safari browsers, as well as other search tools of the Cupertino-based company.

In a statement regarding the filing of the antitrust lawsuit against Google, Attorney General William Barr said that millions of Americans depend on the Internet and other online platforms in performing their daily routines. "Competition in this industry is vitally important, which is why today's challenge against Google -- the gatekeeper of the Internet -- for violating antitrust laws is a monumental case both for the Department of Justice and for the American people," Barr said.

 

The Attorney General (AG) also opined that the antitrust lawsuit that the DOJ filed against Google strikes at the heart of the company's grip over the Internet for millions of users, advertisers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses beholden to what he called an "unlawful monopolist." Barr added that since his confirmation as AG, he made it his priority to review the practices of leading online market platforms to make sure that technology industries stay competitive.

The antitrust lawsuit which the DOJ filed against Google is also backed by AG's in 11 states. The lawsuit referred to Google as the Internet's "monopoly gatekeeper" for billions of advertisers and users around the globe. Records indicate that Google accounts for nearly 90% of all search queries in the US and, according to the DOJ, allegedly employed "anticompetitive tactics" like exclusionary deals to maintain its monopoly in both search and search advertising.

One of the major complaints in the antitrust lawsuit filed by the DOJ against Google is its agreement with Apple that allows Google to become the Safari browser's default search engine and also the default on other search tools of Apple. Reports say that this is a huge privilege that Google pays billions for. For the DOJ, Google's deal with Apple provides Google the sought-after default position on all important search access points for iDevices.

The DOJ also stated in the antitrust lawsuit it filed against Google that while it is true that there is an option to change the search engine on Safari and other browsers, including Google's own Chrome, very few people opt to change the search engine. This makes Google the "de facto exclusive general search engine" of such browsers and other search tools. For its part, Google stated that the position of the DOJ is "deeply flawed" as Google does not force people to use their search engine. "People use Google because they choose to, not because they're forced to, or because they can't find alternatives," the lawyers for the search giant said.