On the Ruling in United States et al. v. Google
Yesterday, in a landmark antitrust case prosecuted by the Trump administration, District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google must share search data, and other information, with “qualified competitors.”
However, we are very concerned over the reluctance of Judge Mehta – an Obama appointee – to provide stronger remedies requested by the Department of Justice, especially in light of his self-admitted view of Google as an illegal monopoly. We are particularly concerned that the decision allows for Google to continue to pay for default placement of its products. Mehta wrote that courts “must approach the task of crafting remedies with a healthy dose of humility.” But when companies operate a brazenly illegal monopoly, as Google does, courts must also deliver clear justice instead of seeking to split the difference.
We commend Assistant Attorney General Slater and the Department of Justice for their efforts, and likewise will support them if they decide to seek additional relief. This ruling marks steady progress for the America First antitrust movement, and we are confident that AAG Slater, the Department of Justice, and President Trump will continue to hold illegal monopolies accountable in the next several antitrust cases, including Google’s adtech suit.
The result of this case illustrates two things: The first is that Congress must step in to deliver appropriate legislation to combat this issue in the face of reluctant courts. Such legislation previously had a chance at passage, but then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blocked floor time for the bill.
The second is that antitrust officials must have their resources bolstered in order to prosecute these cases, which is why we urge Congress to accede to the Trump administration's request to allow the DoJ’s Antitrust Division to utilize excess merger fees in the 2026 FY Budget. The Antitrust Division is going up against the most well-funded and largest legal teams in the world. It’s time their resources, mismanaged under the Biden administration, fit the task at hand.
It is time for Congressional leaders to take up the torch.
