Google Fights Back: Appeals Antitrust Ruling on Search Monopoly

Sat Jan 17 2026 14:29:40 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bold move, Google has appealed a significant antitrust ruling that deemed it a monopoly in the online search market. The company argues the ruling misrepresents consumer choices and the competitive landscape.

Google has appealed a US court's antitrust verdict that found the tech giant monopolized the online search market. The company claims the ruling disregards consumer preferences and competition while seeking to pause certain remedial actions, including data-sharing mandates.

Google has appealed a US district judge's landmark antitrust ruling that found the company illegally held a monopoly in online search.

As we have long said, the Court's August 2024 ruling ignored the reality that people use Google because they want to, not because they're forced to, Google's vice president for regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland said.

In its announcement on Friday, Google stated the ruling by Judge Amit Mehta overlooked the pace of innovation and the fierce competition the company faces.

The company is requesting a pause on implementing a series of fixes aimed at limiting its monopoly power, which some observers have deemed insufficient.

Judge Mehta acknowledged the rapid changes to Google's business when he issued his remedies in September, noting that the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) had affected the case's direction.

Rather than breaking up the tech giant, as some government lawyers desired—including a spin-off of the popular Chrome browser—he suggested less stringent remedies such as requiring Google to share certain data with qualified competitors determined by the court.

This data was supposed to include parts of Google's search index, a vast inventory of web content acting as an internet map.

The judge also mandated that certain competitors be allowed to display Google's search results as their own, giving new players the necessary time and resources to innovate.

On Friday, Mulholland objected to the requirement to share search data and syndication services with rivals, arguing that it could jeopardize American privacy and deter competitors from developing their own products, ultimately hindering innovation.

While Google has been investing increasing amounts of money into AI, these ambitions have faced scrutiny, highlighted by a recent EU investigation into the company's AI-generated summaries that appear above search results. The European Commission is examining whether Google used data from websites for the service without properly compensating publishers.

Google warned that such investigations could risk stifling innovation in a highly competitive market.

This week, Google parent Alphabet achieved a milestone, becoming the fourth company ever to reach a market capitalisation of $4 trillion.