A judge has allowed crucial antitrust claims against Google in the United States to continue the trial

A federal judge in the United States hearing the Justice Department’s antitrust complaint accusing Google of illegally maintaining monopolies in the internet search industry upheld major federal government accusations.

Google, an Alphabet subsidiary, had requested summary judgment on all of the government’s claims in the lawsuit.

In a ruling made public in Washington on Friday, U.S. Judge Amit Mehta approved Google’s request on some grounds while allowing the remaining allegations to go to trial next month. In 2020, the Justice Department sued Google, accusing the $1.6 trillion corporation of improperly leveraging its market muscle to stymie competitors in the largest challenge to Big Tech’s power, since it sued Microsoft Corp in 1998.

Mehta is also hearing a complaint brought by the solicitors general of 38 states and territories against Google. Mehta dismissed the states’ claims that Google made it more difficult for internet users to discover specialised search engines, such as Expedia for travel or OpenTable for dining, stating that the states “have not established the requisite unlawful effect in the relevant market.”

In all cases, Google has denied any misconduct. According to Mehta, Google LLC operates the largest general internet search engine in the United States, and its “brand name has become so ubiquitous that dictionaries recognise it as a verb.” Mehta also stated that the government would have to demonstrate that each specific conduct, such as how Google handles search advertising, violates antitrust law. This means that the government cannot demonstrate a series of actions and claim that they all violate antitrust laws.