Today, Explained “Hey Google,” the United States is suing you
Oct 22, 2020
Russell Brandom, a technology reporter for The Verge, dives into the unusual bipartisan lawsuit against Google spearheaded by Bill Barr and Elizabeth Warren. They discuss the allegations of Google's market dominance and the potential impact on innovation and competition. Brandom highlights the politically charged motivation behind the lawsuit, analyzing if it's a genuine regulatory effort or a pre-election strategy. The conversation reveals surprising alliances in tackling big tech monopolies and what this landmark case could mean for consumers.
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Government Sues Google
- The US government is suing Google for antitrust violations, marking its most aggressive legal challenge to Big Tech in two decades.
- This lawsuit, focusing on Google's search monopoly, has drawn comparisons to the Microsoft case in the 90s.
Microsoft Precedent
- The last major tech antitrust case was against Microsoft in the 90s for using Windows to promote Internet Explorer.
- The current Google case could be bigger, potentially comparable to historical antitrust cases like the breakup of Bell Telephone.
Google's Search Dominance
- Google's dominance in search, particularly on mobile devices, stems from deals with companies like Apple to be the default search engine.
- The Justice Department argues these deals are anti-competitive and crowd out other search engine competitors.