The Google Antitrust Trial: 'We Are the Default, and That's Not an Accident'
Internal Google emails and trial testimony from the DOJ's landmark antitrust case reveal how the company spent billions to remain the default search engine everywhere.
"We are the default, and that's not an accident. That's the product of deliberate, sustained investment." In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice opened its antitrust trial against Google, alleging the company illegally maintained its search monopoly by paying billions to be the default search engine on browsers and devices. The trial produced internal emails, executive testimony, and a comprehensive ruling from Judge Amit Mehta. The communications between Google, Apple, and Mozilla reveal an arrangement that was both staggeringly expensive and ruthlessly defended.
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- Google's internal view of defaults
- The Apple deal
- The Mozilla deal
- Judge Mehta's ruling
- The default is the product