Google faces fines for spending billions on default search engine deals

A U.S. court has ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by persuading partners to set its search engine as the default on their devices. The fine to be paid by Google will be determined at a later date.

As reported by Aussiedlerboten, Google has been accused of spending tens of billions of dollars to ensure its search engine is pre-installed on smartphones and browsers from other companies. Last year alone, it reportedly spent $26 billion, with the majority going to Apple.

Judge Amit Mehta found that these exclusive contracts harmed competing search engine operators. Google controls around 90 percent of the global search engine market and earns substantial advertising revenue through its search engine.

The Commission has been examining Google's practices but has not yet made a final decision regarding the alleged antitrust violations.

[Information sourced from Aussiedlerboten]