A US District Court judge has denied Apple’s request to halt an antitrust trial targeting Google’s search monopoly. The decision means Google will proceed with the remedies phase of the trial in April, which could dismantle the company’s lucrative $18 billion-a-year search business.
Apple sought emergency relief, arguing it needs to be involved in the case to protect its ability to reach alternative arrangements with Google that would benefit users and Apple’s business interests. However, Judge Amit Mehta rejected this claim, stating Apple has not provided sufficient evidence of potential harm from a break-up of Google’s businesses.
The trial centers on Google’s alleged illegal monopoly on general search. The remedies phase will determine the company’s fate, potentially involving the separation of Chrome, Android, and Search services. Despite this setback, Google plans to appeal the decision and continue pursuing its proposed remedies, which focus on un bundling apps and services together.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/605342/apple-denied-google-search-antitrust