Alphabet-owned Google has revealed plans to appeal a US federal court decision, seeking to reinforce its control on internet search and advertising spaces.
The latest announcements come after closing claims were made on Friday in an antitrust trial led by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and other states.
Taking to X, Google stated, “We will wait for the court's opinion. And we still strongly believe the court's original decision was wrong, and look forward to our eventual appeal.”
It is pertinent to note that US District Judge Amit Mehta reviewed the remedies to acknowledge the company’s monopoly, including calls to restrict Google’s high-value mergers and other device manufacturers to remain the default search engine.
While antitrust regulators are urging structural changes, such as forcing Google to divest its Ad Manager platform, Judge Mehta has suggested considering less drastic measures to restore competition in the search market.
The case highlights wider concerns regarding the company’s lead in artificial intelligence (AI), how it controls over search may reshape the development of the state-of-the-art tools.
At the hearing, Google’s lawyer, John Schmidtlein, argued the Alphabet-owned firm has taken significant measures to promote competition—such as stopping exclusive deals with major smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, enabling them to preload competitor search and AI-powered apps.
To note, the trial, which started in April, is likely to end with a ruling by August.
