Google in Problem Over Alleged Monopoly in Online Advertising Market, Trial Begins Against Company, Facebook, Instagram

A trial began in the US on Monday against Internet search engine Google for allegedly suppressing competition in online advertising. In this case, the prosecution says that Google has a huge monopoly on the flow of news and funds on websites. It sells about 1.5 lakh online ads every second.

This case is important in the effort to stop big tech companies from abusing their dominant position. The prosecution has said that Google has built a complex plan through acquisitions to monopoly on website advertising tools. However, the company has denied these allegations. Alphabet, which runs Google, says that its efforts to provide technology and service to customers are being hindered. The company has said that the prosecution has ignored that the online advertising market is shifting towards apps and connected TV, in which Google faces tough competition.

Last month, a US court ruled that Google had violated anti-trust law. It had spent billions of dollars to become the world’s default search engine and created an illegal monopoly in internet search. This was the first major victory of the US federal authorities against the market dominance of big tech companies.

This decision paved the way for another lawsuit to determine major changes in Google’s functioning. In his decision, Washington District Judge Amit Mehta in the US said, “The court has come to the conclusion that Google exercises a monopoly.” However, this decision of the district court can be appealed. This also led to a fall in Alphabet’s share price. Last year, Google’s revenue from advertising accounted for 77 percent of Alphabet’s total sales. In the past few months, the US government has tightened the noose around big tech companies. Earlier, legal cases were also filed against Meta Platforms, which controls social media site Facebook, and e-commerce company Amazon.