Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement after a federal judge ruled yesterday that Google had broken the law when it tried to ensure its market dominance in a lawsuit that Arkansas, the U.S. Department of Justice, and 13 other state attorneys general brought against the tech giant:
“This victory holds Google accountable for its anticompetitive acts that resulted in a stranglehold on online search markets. This ruling is a win for Arkansans and should send a message to all businesses that unlawful and unfair practices will not be tolerated. Now that liability has been determined, I will continue to push forward with this lawsuit to seek injunctive relief that benefits Arkansans and provides space for competition among internet search engines.”
The court found that Google violated federal antitrust laws by entering into exclusionary contracts, making Google the default and exclusive search engine for browsers, mobile devices, and wireless carriers in exchange for a percentage of the revenue Google earned through such placement. This case was consolidated with another enforcement action filed by 38 other attorneys general.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held Google liable in both lawsuits. The court found that Google’s default distribution contracts are anticompetitive, that Google has no procompetitive justification for these contracts, and that Google has monopoly power in multiple online search markets.
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