Latest on Google Antitrust Case: U.S. Department of Justice demands multiple anti-monopoly measures, including sharing AI training data.

The English name of the "Monopoly" game we played as kids means monopoly. The gameplay of Monopoly is to give each player the same amount of money, roll the dice to move forward, buy land when landing on a spot, build houses to collect tolls, and in the end, there will only be one winner. The player with more land can bankrupt opponents, illustrating the terror of market monopoly where the winner takes all and the losers go bankrupt and exit the game.

Understanding the true meaning of the "Monopoly" game as the harm brought by "market monopoly", one would know why both the United States and the European Union have imposed heavy penalties on companies monopolizing the market in recent years, with the government stepping in to protect fair competition between enterprises. Monopoly squeezes out the survival space of other operators. From a macro perspective, monopolistic practices not only do not help the overall ecosystem but also reduce the per capita GDP and overall development of the country.

According to a report byReuters on October 8th, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) may ask a judge to force Google's parent company Alphabet to spin off some of its businesses. A ruling in August found that Google's 80% share of the online search advertising business constitutes illegal monopoly.

The DOJ also proposed a possible move to prepare to provide Google's search index and AI models to Google's competitors for studying, in order to prevent Google's exclusive monopoly on AI data dominance. Google is currently actively fighting against the court's ruling, but it seems to be struggling to find more reasons to refute it.

Google is currently involved in three cases with the Department of Justice, including the unresolved Ad Tech case. We will continue to monitor and report on developments in the future.

US Department of Justice Proposes Remedies to Google

The US Department of Justice has put forward several proposals requiring Google to remedy its existing business practices. This includes ending the practice of setting Google Chrome as the default search engine on new mobile phones or computers. Google pays up to $26.3 billion annually to manufacturers like Apple to ensure the dominance of its search engine. These remedies aim to allow Americans the freedom to search for information without being tied exclusively to Google.

Game Developer Accuses Google of Unfair Revenue Sharing and Payment Practices

San Francisco judge James Donato has ordered Google, based on a jury's decision, to allow more users to download apps and not restrict users to making payments only through Google's third-party competitors.

In 2020, game developer Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that Google's monopoly interfered with consumers' freedom to download apps on Android devices and interfered with consumer payment methods. In December 2023, Epic Games convinced a jury of these claims, leading the court to prohibit Google from controlling app distribution and payment settings, claiming that Google had hindered the game developer's growth and squeezed profits.

Judge Donato's injunction includes prohibiting Google from restricting app payment methods for three years and limiting revenue sharing on Google Play Store and app distribution.

Google's Focus on Denying Allegations

Court rulings on the Google Ad Search Monopoly case and Google Play Store Monopoly case have been issued, with the Department of Justice even suggesting remedies to prevent Google from paying hefty damages. Google is currently preparing to appeal, focusing on the argument that its services are based on consumer interests and denying any monopolistic behavior.

Food search website Yelp strongly supports the court's decision. Yelp has also sued Google and aims to break away from Google's search engine. Users typically search for food on Google and then check reviews on Yelp. For thematic search websites like Yelp, Google's restrictions on traffic have taken away users and harmed the website.

In line with the earlier quote, the prototype of the Monopoly game is based on the game of landlord invented by Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips. The essence of the game is to remind players that excessive greed can lead to a future of poverty. In the business market, many capitalists spare no effort to monopolize all business.

Google is a search tool relied on by many. When Google prioritizes commercial profit, it is not just about suppressing local business rankings or suppressing other businesses, but it concerns the original purpose of users—to find genuine and useful information, rather than being shown search results pushed to the top due to payments. Over-commercialization not only harms businesses but also harms internet users who expect Google to bring convenience to their lives.

It is hoped that the Google monopoly case will prompt Google to make changes so that internet searches do not become tools for the benefit of a few.