Google has appealed a major antitrust ruling from a US district judge over its search operations. The court determined the company illegally maintained dominance in online search.
Google said users select its services freely, not because they are forced. Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president for regulatory affairs, responded to the August 2024 ruling. She argued the court misread why people rely on Google products.
Company challenges court’s view on competition
Google announced the appeal on Friday and criticised Judge Amit Mehta’s reasoning. The company said the ruling ignored rapid innovation across technology. It also said the court underestimated competitive pressure from rivals in digital markets.
Google requested a pause on implementing the court’s remedies. Some analysts already described those measures as limited. Google warned immediate enforcement could cause significant disruption.
Judge recognises AI changes but rejects breakup
Judge Mehta acknowledged rapid shifts in Google’s business when he issued remedies in September. He noted that generative artificial intelligence changed the trajectory of the case.
He rejected a government proposal to break up Google. That plan included spinning off Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.
Instead, the judge imposed narrower measures. Google must share selected data with court-approved competitors under the order.
Orders to share search data spark pushback
The data includes parts of Google’s search index. That index functions as a massive map 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 requirements on Friday. She said forced data sharing and syndication threatened privacy and discouraged innovation by competitors.
AI expansion draws global regulatory scrutiny
Google has increased investment in artificial intelligence across its services. Regulators have raised concerns about how AI affects competition and publishers.
Last month, the European Union opened an investigation into Google’s AI summaries. Those summaries appear above standard search results.
The European Commission said it would examine Google’s use of website content. It also questioned whether publishers received fair compensation. Google said the inquiry risks 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 milestone.
