US judge rules Google’s monopoly of online searches is illegal

A US judge has ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly on online searches and related advertising.

The decision could reshape how technology giants do business in the future.

Google was sued by the US Department of Justice for its control of about 90% of the online search market.

In the decision, District Judge Amit Mehta noted that Google paid billions to ensure it is the default search engine on smartphones and browsers.

“Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Judge Mehta wrote in his opinion.