The United States District Court for the District of Columbia recently ruled that Google’s business practices illegally hampered competition, thereby violating federal anti-trust laws.
The court determined in its ruling that Google kept an illegal monopoly over two domains of internet activity in the United States —general search services and general text advertising. Google violated the Sherman Antitrust Act via exclusive distribution agreements.
Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act was signed by President Benjamin Harrison in 1890. It prohibits ventures and ploys to monopolize.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the court’s ruling by proclaiming, “A federal court ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly by exploiting its dominance to squash competition and hamper innovation.”
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