In the Aug. 5 decision in U.S. v. Google LLC, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against Google in an antitrust case initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice with participation from 38 U.S. states. The case focuses on substantial payments made by Google to Apple Inc. and other equipment manufacturers to secure its position as the default search engine on their devices.
As the U.S. Justice Department considers potential structural remedies following its victory, the case reflects heightened global scrutiny of Big Tech. This setting creates an opportune moment to reassess both ex post and ex ante antitrust strategies, according to insights from Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.