Gaetz, Mike Lee Test Google's Commitment to Complying with Antitrust Ruling

A recent Supreme Court ruling found search engine giant Google guilty of violating antitrust laws to dominate as the default search engine. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) wrote to Alphabet (the company that owns Google) CEO Sundar Pichai, emphasizing the immediate need for full compliance with the ruling.

Just last week, Judge Amit Mehta delivered a ruling that could potentially lead to the breakup of Alphabet, and by extension Google. The ruling declared that Alphabet had maintained an illegal monopoly over the search engine and advertising market for an extended period. This is a significant development, considering that 'Google' has become synonymous with 'search' in everyday language, and Reuters reported that Alphabet held a staggering 90% of the online search market and 95% of smartphones.

Rep. Gaetz and Sen. Lee discussed this massive ownership of the market in their letter, emphasizing the significant impact on American consumers. They stated, "According to DOJ, these default contracts have made it impossible for rival search engines to effectively compete, leaving Google with a market share above 90 percent—and depriving American consumers of a real choice."

Additionally, Rep. Gaetz and Sen. Lee highlighted the apparent suppression of conservative viewpoints through the Google search engine, referencing what appeared to be censorship of the July 13th assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"All of our constituents feel the effects of Google's entrenched market power, including documented suppression of conservative voices on Google's channels and, more recently, the manipulation of Google's autocomplete search function that prevented Americans from easily accessing information relevant to the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Trump," Gaetz and Lee continued.

Thus, the Florida Congressman and Utah Senator reached the crux of their letter: Will Google comply with the Supreme Court ruling?

Gaetz and Lee issued a stark warning to Pichai, saying, "It would be a mistake for your company to believe that the influence it has bought in Washington will enable it to successfully avoid a potential antitrust remedy and keep its monopoly intact," referencing Alphabet's apparent power in the nation's capital, supposedly spending $15 million in lobbying just last year.

"If we observe any effort by Google to evade a court-imposed remedy, we will be vigilant to pursue any and all solutions necessary to hold your company accountable and fully restore competition in online search," Gaetz and Lee concluded.