It was about control in the ad tech fight
Google’s former executive in charge of acquisitions David Drummond, in an email to Google’s board, wrote, “I believe that it would be in the best interest of our company and our shareholders if we acquired DoubleClick.” The email was obtained by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in its antitrust trial against Google.
A US judge says that a search on the internet is an illegal game
The US Justice Department’s antitrust case that accused Google of abusing its dominant market position in search ads will be heard by a federal judge in New York this year, reports said. The judge has set a period of five to seven years to decide on the remedies. He will also hold a separate trial to determine what remedies Google should face.
Microsoft has been charged with EU antitrust violations
The European Commission has said that it’s “preliminary view” that Microsoft has breached EU antitrust rules with its tie-up of teams with its productivity applications in Office 365 and Windows 365. It could potentially face a fine of 10% of Microsoft’s annual worldwide turnover if it is found guilty of antitrust violations. If found guilty, the firm could face a fine of up to 6 billion.
The judge suggests there will be a plan to rein in the illegal play store
A judge has said there’s a risk that Google’s Android app stores could have a “new terrain” after it was found to be in violation of US antitrust laws. “We’re walking on new terrain…we’re gonna be there for a while. The result of breaking antitrust laws ischanging how we do things,” he added. Google had earlier said it’ll take enforcement action against its rival app stores.
The new tech law of the EU is being used to target Apple and other companies
The European Commission is opening five non-compliance investigations into how Apple, Google and Meta are complying with its new Digital Markets Act antitrust rules. “We suspect that the suggested solutions put forward by the three companies do not fully comply with the DMA,” the EU’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said. It’s also investigating whether Amazon is self-preferencing its own products on its store.
There is a case against Apple that is related to Microsoft in the ’90s
US Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in a New Jersey district court, accusing the company of “deliberately abusing its market power”. Apple’s anti-competitive practices have given it a monopoly, the complaint said. The lawsuit was filed by the department under the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which requires companies such as Apple to not favour their own products over competitors.
The EU imposed its first ever fine on Apple
The European Union (EU) has found that Apple violated the bloc’s antitrust rules by limiting the availability of subscription offers from music streaming services like Spotify and others through its App Store. The ruling applies only to in-app purchases, which are made directly through Apple’s payment system. Spotify had said that it was disappointed with the ruling but would appeal against it.