How as a society did we become so dependent on a tool that dictates how many of us view and see our world?

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“This case is about the future of the internet, and whether Google’s search engine will ever face meaningful competition.” DOJ lawyer Kenneth Dintzer

One of the most popular phrases you will hear in our present time is “Google it!” This has become so common, because as a society, we have learned to depend on this search engine to research a myriad of topics including health tips, fashion tips, definitions, world news, videos, etc. How did this happen? How as a society did we become so dependent on a tool that dictates how many of us view and see our world? There is a story here.

Last week, US prosecutors opened a landmark antitrust trial against Google on Tuesday with sweeping allegations that for years the company intentionally stifled competition. They are accusing the tech giant of spending billions to operate an illegal monopoly that has bombarded every computer and mobile device user in Canada, and the United States.

Lawyers for the Justice Department alleged that Google’s negotiation of exclusive contracts with wireless carriers and phone makers helped cement its dominant position in violation of US antitrust law. I was unsure what antitrust laws were, so I did a little research.

Antitrust laws in the United States are a set of federal and state laws that are designed to promote fair competition in the marketplace and prevent anti-competitive behavior by businesses. The primary goal of antitrust laws is to protect consumers from monopolistic practices, price-fixing, and other forms of unfair competition. These laws are enforced by various government agencies, primarily: the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

These laws are intended to foster competition, prevent monopolies, and protect consumers from unfair business practices. Enforcement of antitrust laws can lead to legal actions against companies engaged in anti-competitive behavior, including fines, divestitures, and other remedies.

The Google case has been described as one of the largest US antitrust trials since the federal government took on Microsoft in the 1990s, and it involves some similar arguments about the tying of multiple proprietary products. Google pays more than $10 billion a year to Apple and other companies to ensure that Google is the default, or only search engine available on browsers and mobile devices used by millions.

Also anticompetitive, the Justice Department said, are Google’s contracts to ensure that Android devices come with Google apps and services — including Google search — preinstalled. These types of deals guarantee a steady flow of user data to Google that further reinforces its monopoly, the US government said, leading to other consequences such as harms to consumer privacy and higher advertising prices.

Google has previously said that consumers choose Google’s search engine because it is the best and that they prefer it, not because of anti-competitive practices, but DOJ prosecutors said they plan to present evidence in the case that Google knew what it was doing was illegal and that the company “Hid and destroyed documents because they knew they were violating the antitrust laws.”

What are your thoughts community; do you think Google has monopolized, and if so, is this a harm to us as users?