John Adoyi
Google has said it will appeal a United States federal court ruling that it unlawfully maintained a monopoly in the online search market.
The tech giant made the announcement in a statement released on Saturday in response to a judicial decision that could force it to change how it distributes its search engine across billions of devices.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We still strongly believe the court’s original decision was wrong, and we look forward to our eventual appeal,” Google wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“We’ll continue to defend the benefits our search products deliver for people and businesses across the country.”
The company said it was concerned that the remedies being proposed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) would not only stifle innovation but also hurt consumer choice and open the door to “less helpful” search services.
In a detailed six-point rebuttal, Google argued that the measures would benefit competitors, not consumers.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the DOJ on 20 October 2020.
The US government, alongside 11 states, accused Google of using exclusionary agreements with smartphone manufacturers, browser developers, and wireless carriers to unlawfully ensure its search engine remained the default option on most devices.
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The trial began on 12 September 2023 in Washington, D.C., and concluded with closing arguments in early May 2024. On 8 August 2024, US District Judge Amit Mehta issued a ruling that Google had violated antitrust law through its default placement agreements, creating a self-reinforcing monopoly that disadvantaged rivals like DuckDuckGo and Bing.
Although the court did not find Google in violation with respect to its advertising practices, Judge Mehta concluded that Google’s dominance in search was not just due to superior products but also to an unfair manipulation of market access.
The DOJ is now seeking remedies that could significantly alter Google’s business model. These include banning the company from entering into default search agreements with device makers like Apple and Samsung, and possibly requiring structural changes to its operations.
Google responded by saying these measures would damage the user experience and benefit its competitors rather than the public. The company warned that enforcing such remedies could set a dangerous precedent in tech regulation, making popular services harder to access.
What happens next
A remedial trial began on 22 April 2025 and closed on 30 May 2025. Judge Mehta is anticipated to deliver a final ruling on the scope of penalties and behavioural changes by August 2025.
Google has signalled that it will file its appeal once the final judgment is issued.
