The conclusion of the highly contested US v. Google LLC antitrust trial finds that consumers largely prefer Google’s search engine due to its ability to out-innovate competition. A fact buttressed by the seemingly ironic revelation unearthed during the cross-examination of Microsoft Corp.’s CEO, Satya Nadella that the term “Google” is the most searched on Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.
Adding to this, Mozilla Foundation’s CEO, Mitchell Baker, testified that Google’s search engine is the top choice for customers. This statement is substantiated as Mozilla witnessed a user backlash following a move to make Yahoo! the default search engine, leading to Google’s reinstatement (Arstechnica) (Bloomberg).
Despite criticisms and allegations, one of DOJ’s experts revealed that over 90% of US consumers would choose Google over other search engine providers (Bloomberg Law). Furthermore, the trial debunked the notion that defaults on web browsers and devices are forced upon consumers, with evidence showing that these easy-to-change defaults are a result of consumer preference rather than imposition.
The growth of Google competitor, DuckDuckGo, contradicts the DOJ’s monopoly theory. Despite its relative newness in the market, DuckDuckGo has already grown significantly and presently holds rank as one of US’s most popular search engines (Statista) (Backlinko).
The progress of the lawsuit indicates that consumers’ preference for Google’s high-quality search engine is not an antitrust violation. According to Eddy Cue of Apple’s testimony, Google currently offers the best search engine by far (The Capitol Forum). A point demonstrating that the laws of antitrust seek to protect consumers rather than penalize a company for providing a product that consumers widely appreciate.
Currently, the fate of the DOJ’s lawsuit against Google remains uncertain. However, its potential failure could be another addition to the growing list of unsuccessful trials by the Biden administration (The Hill).