United States v. Google LLC is an ongoing federal antitrust case brought by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against Google LLC on October 20, 2020. The suit alleges that Google has violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 by illegally monopolizing the search engine and search advertising markets, most notably on Android devices, as well as with Apple and mobile carriers.
The case was heard started in September 2023 in the District Court for the District of Columbia with judge Amit Mehta presiding. Mehta ruled in August 2024, finding that Google held a monopoly on their search engine technology, and illegally used that position in securing Google's position with mobile device and website partners. On the day of the ruling, Google president of global affairs Kent Walker said in a written statement that the company intends to appeal the decision. Proceedings to determine what remedies will be placed on Google are still to be held.
The lawsuit has been described as a "blockbuster antitrust trial", and has been widely described as one of the most important federal antitrust lawsuit against a high-tech company since the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case in 1998. Legal commentators anticipate that there will likely be an appeal, regardless of how the case is decided. The outcome of the case is considered to have a potential bearing on the subsequently-filed federal antitrust suits against fellow "Big Tech" companies Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Apple. The DOJ filed a second antitrust lawsuit against Google over the company's advertising market practices in 2023.