The world's largest search engine under the knife of the law/monopoly of Google became troublesome

A US judge has ruled that Google violated antitrust law and spent billions of dollars to create this illegal monopoly and become the world's default search engine, the first major victory for federal authorities The technology giants dominate the market.

The ruling paves the way for a second trial to determine potential solutions and the breakup of Google's parent company Alphabet, which will change the landscape of the online advertising world that Google has dominated for years.

It's also a green light for U.S. antitrust enforcement to prosecute tech giants, a sector that has come under attack these days from across the political spectrum.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., wrote the court: “Google is a monopolist and has acted to preserve its monopoly. “Google has about 90% of the online search market and 95% of the smartphone market.”

The remedy phase can be lengthy, followed by potential appeals to the United States Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. This legal drag can continue until next year or even 2026.

Alphabet's stock fell 4.5 percent amid a broad decline in tech stocks and fears of a stock market slowdown. Google ads will account for 77% of Alphabet's total sales in 2023.

Alphabet announced in a statement that it plans to appeal the US judge's ruling. “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we should not be allowed to make it readily available,” Google said in a statement.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland called the ruling a historic victory for the American people, adding: “No corporation – no matter how large or influential – is above the law.”

White House Press Secretary Karin Jane Pierre said the pro-competitive ruling is a victory for the American people, adding that Americans deserve a free, fair and competitive Internet.