A California judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Google of monopolizing the online search market. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin, based in San Francisco, ruled on Thursday that consumers can continue pursuing claims that Google’s business practices stifled the development of high-quality rival search engines.
Allegations Against Google and Apple
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleges that Google unlawfully conspired with Apple to secure its position as the default search engine on Apple devices. According to the plaintiffs, this agreement hindered competition and prevented other search engines from gaining traction. Although the case centers on Google, Apple is not a defendant in this lawsuit.
Joseph Alioto, the attorney representing the 26 consumers who initiated the lawsuit, expressed confidence in their case. “We believe the evidence will clearly demonstrate Google’s wrongdoing, and a jury will have no trouble ruling against them,” Alioto stated.
Court Dismisses Some Claims
While allowing the main allegations to proceed, Judge Lin dismissed other claims related to Google’s text advertising practices. Additionally, the court ruled that the plaintiffs could not include Google CEO Sundar Pichai and former Alphabet chief Eric Schmidt as individual defendants.
Despite Google’s denial of any misconduct, the company has yet to comment on the latest developments. The plaintiffs argue that Google’s exclusive contracts with Apple and other companies harmed market competition by preventing the emergence of alternative search engines that could offer better privacy or fewer ads.
Upcoming Hearings and Broader Implications
Judge Lin’s decision follows a similar ruling from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., who found that Google’s exclusive agreements created an illegal monopoly. Although Google is contesting the D.C. ruling, the company claims that it does not strengthen the consumers’ case in California.
The next hearing in this case, Arcell v. Google LLC, is scheduled for February 12. The outcome of this lawsuit could significantly impact how tech giants manage their business practices and agreements in the future.
