Google has appealed a major antitrust decision from a US district judge over its search business. The court ruled that the company illegally preserved dominance in online search markets.
Google said users rely on its services through preference rather than obligation. Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president for regulatory affairs, responded to the August 2024 ruling. She said the decision misrepresented how people choose search engines.
Appeal targets judge’s view of market pressure
Google announced the appeal on Friday and criticised Judge Amit Mehta’s analysis. The company said the ruling ignored rapid technological innovation. It also said the court underestimated competitive forces in digital markets.
Google asked the court to pause enforcement of the ordered remedies. Some observers already described those measures as restrained. Google said immediate enforcement would cause unwarranted disruption.
Court notes AI shift but avoids forced breakup
Judge Mehta acknowledged swift changes in Google’s business when issuing remedies in September. He wrote that generative artificial intelligence altered the direction of the case.
He rejected a government demand to break up Google. That proposal included spinning off Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.
Instead, the judge imposed narrower corrective measures. Those steps required Google to share selected data with competitors approved by the court.
Data sharing orders draw strong opposition
The shared material would include parts of Google’s search index. That index serves as a vast directory 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 orders on Friday. She said mandatory data sharing and syndication threatened privacy and discouraged independent innovation.
AI expansion meets rising regulatory scrutiny
Google has increased spending on artificial intelligence initiatives. Regulators have raised concerns about the impact on competition and publishers.
Last month, the European Union opened an investigation into Google’s AI summaries. Those summaries appear above traditional search listings.
The European Commission said it would examine Google’s use of website data. It also questioned whether publishers received fair compensation. Google said the inquiry risked 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 achieved that level.
