Event · Search and discovery
The U.S. government sues Google over its search monopoly (2020–2024)
On October 20, 2020 the U.S. Justice Department and eleven states filed an antitrust suit against Google, accusing it of maintaining monopolies in search and search advertising through exclusive deals, such as the one making Google the default search engine in Apple's Safari. In August 2024 Judge Amit Mehta concluded that Google is a monopolist and acted to keep its monopoly.
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October 20, 2020
United States v. Google (search)
Event · Search and discovery · Ongoing
History
The suit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., under the Sherman Act. According to the Justice Department, Google handled almost 90% of U.S. searches and used contracts that barred rivals from being preinstalled and forced its apps onto devices. The long-term agreement with Apple, making Google Safari's default search engine, was described as effectively exclusive.
Judge Amit P. Mehta's ruling, issued on a Monday in August 2024, addressed liability only: it found Google held monopoly power in general search and in search text ads, and that its distribution deals with Apple and Mozilla had anticompetitive effects. In the judge's words, Google is a monopolist and has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. Remedies were left for later, and Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, announced an appeal. This record covers the case through 2024; the 2025 remedies and the appeal have their own record.
Dates
What the sources say
| Claim | Record | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiffs | U.S. Justice Department and eleven states | 2 · Single primary source | [1] primary |
| Google's share of U.S. searches, per the complaint | Almost 90% Statement | 2 · Single primary source | [1] primary |
| 2024 ruling | Google is a monopolist and acted to maintain its monopoly (Judge Amit Mehta) | 3 · Secondary source | [2] secondary |
Historical captures
No archived capture has been located for this record yet.
Sources
- Justice Department Sues Monopolist Google For Violating Antitrust Laws — U.S. Department of Justice, October 20, 2020. Source primary · accessed November 2, 2026 · look for a copy on the Internet Archive
- Judge rules Google violated antitrust rules to maintain search monopoly — Axios, August 5, 2024. Source secondary · accessed November 2, 2026 · look for a copy on the Internet Archive
Date inferred from the URL; the page says the ruling came on a Monday.
What still needs documenting
- Text of the court ruling
- Other cases: ad tech and Epic Games
On GD
GD has followed Google since 2006. Search GD for “antitruste” (in Portuguese)
How to cite
"The U.S. government sues Google over its search monopoly (2020–2024)", Google Museum (GD), https://gd.eurisko.com.br/museu/en/collection/processo-antitruste-busca-eua/, CC BY 4.0. Reviewed on November 2, 2026.
ID: processo-antitruste-busca-eua · Reviewed on November 2, 2026