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Google makes history with rapid-fire antitrust losses
Google makes history with rapid-fire antitrust losses

April 20, 2025

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Within a year, two federal judges declared the tech giant a monopoly in search and ad technology. The tide may be turning for antitrust.


The Tortoise vs. The Tech Titan: Google’s Legal Reckoning Begins

For years, Big Tech treated antitrust scrutiny like background noise — a minor inconvenience in the grand symphony of innovation. Investigations came and went. Lawsuits were filed, fought, and often faded away. Time, as always, favoured the disruptors.

But the tide may finally be turning.

In a historic one-two punch, Google has now faced two major legal blows within months. First, a federal judge ruled that Google engaged in anticompetitive practices to maintain its monopoly in online search. Then, just this week, another judge concluded the tech giant illegally built a monopoly in online advertising technology.

This isn’t just a legal slap on the wrist — it’s a signal that U.S. courts are no longer willing to give Silicon Valley a free pass.

“These decisions go right to the core of Google’s business model,” said William Kovacic, a former FTC chair. “This is no longer just regulatory noise. It’s a serious threat.”

A Broader Crackdown on Tech Power

The case against Google is just one piece of a bigger puzzle. Meta (formerly Facebook) is on trial for allegedly cementing its dominance in social media through acquisitions like Instagram and WhatsApp. The government has also taken on Apple and Amazon for similar reasons.

Even more dramatically, the Justice Department is now asking the court to consider forcing Google to sell off Chrome, spin off Android, or loosen its grip on pre-installed services — an antitrust remedy we haven’t seen since the Microsoft case in the early 2000s.

Google, unsurprisingly, has pushed back, calling these demands “wildly overbroad.” But the courtroom clock is ticking.

A New Era for Antitrust Enforcement?

For decades, antitrust law has focused on price. But digital platforms, often free to users, have shifted the game. Now, courts are starting to catch up with the modern marketplace — and it’s sending shockwaves through tech boardrooms.

Nancy Rose, an MIT economist, calls it a “major affirmation” of the government’s ability to take on monopolies in the digital age.

Still, nothing is guaranteed. Google is appealing both rulings. And any final outcome could depend on shifts in political leadership, just as the Microsoft case softened when the Bush administration came in.

But something is different now.

“There’s a seriousness in how the government is pursuing these cases,” said Harry First of NYU Law. “Maybe, just maybe, the tortoise is about to win.”

For now, Google stands at a crossroads between innovation and monopoly, between regulation and resistance. And the rest of the tech world is watching very, very closely.



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