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Google Loses Major Antitrust Case, May Face Breakup

Federal judge rules search giant maintained illegal monopoly, opening door to potential forced sale of Chrome browser or Android.

Kashmir Rupee5 min read
Google Loses Major Antitrust Case, May Face Breakup

A federal judge has ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in search and search advertising, potentially opening the door to the largest corporate breakup since AT&T in 1984.

The landmark ruling found that Google's deals to make its search engine the default on smartphones and browsers constituted illegal conduct that harmed competition.

"Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly," Judge Amit Mehta wrote in his decision. "The time has come to restore competition to these vital markets."

The Justice Department is expected to seek remedies that could include forcing Google to sell Chrome or Android. Google has announced plans to appeal.

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