A view of Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on April 16, 2024.
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The ‘seismic’ blow to Big Tech
The decision in U.S. v. Google, declaring the search engine giant a monopolist, could be a boon to the federal government’s litany of antitrust cases against major technology companies.
The ruling marks a significant win for the Department of Justice as it and the Federal Trade Commission continue to litigate far-reaching antitrust cases against tech giants including Amazon, Meta and Apple.
“This is one of the most important monopoly cases that the Department of Justice has brought since the Microsoft case,” said Roger Alford, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, referring to the landmark antitrust decision against Microsoft in 2001.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta found Monday that Google has a monopoly over online search and advertising.
Mehta found Google maintained the monopoly through exclusive agreements with partners, such as Apple and Samsung, that ensure its search engine is the default on their devices.
The decision is “seismic” for the government’s antitrust cases and the industry as a whole, said Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School.
“It’s a sign that the tide is changing in antitrust law generally away from the laissez-faire system that we’ve had for the last 40 years,” she said.
The Department of Education announced Wednesday the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms for next year’s college hopefuls will not be fully launched until Dec. 1, two months behind the typical schedule. The belated timeline follows the chaotic rollout of this year’s revamped forms, which were beset by delays and difficulties. The FAFSA forms, which are normally launched in October, will …
Disney returned to a profitable third quarter as its combined streaming business started making money for the first time, along with a very strong showing in theaters for the movie “Inside Out 2.” Operating income for the entertainment segment, which includes its movie studio and parts of its television wing, nearly tripled to $1.2 billion. Disney’s run at the box office continues with “ Deadpool & Wolverine, ” …
More than a dozen House Republicans wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday asking him not to axe clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) if the GOP maintains or expands its House majority next year. In the letter, first shared with Politico’s E&E News, members led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) criticized the IRA as a whole but wrote that repealing the credits could undermine the growth …
News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:
Boeing Starliner astronauts have been in space more than two months
There is still no clear return date in sight, and NASA says the astronauts may not come home on the same ship, CNN reports.
Lyft tackles surge-pricing with subscription
The new feature, called Price Lock, will let a rider purchase a monthly subscription “that caps the price for a specific route at a specific time,” TechCrunch reports.
In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
New Yorkers are warned from the skies about impending danger from storms as city deploys drones
NEW YORK (AP) — Gone is the bullhorn. Instead, New York City emergency management officials have turned high-tech, using drones to warn residents about potential threatening weather. With a buzzing sound in the background, a drone equipped with a loudspeaker flies over homes warning people who live …
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has branded Google as a ruthless monopolist bent on suffocating its competitors. But how do you go about creating alternatives to a search engine that’s synonymous with internet exploration? It’s a process that may take years to unfold as Google appeals …
Democratic strategist James Carville said Tuesday he doesn’t think Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Trump’s running mate, wants to get “within … Read more
Democratic strategist David Axelrod suggested Vice President Harris’s decision not to tap Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) as her running mate … Read more
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