Google faces new antitrust trial after ruling declaring search engine a monopoly

AP Business Writer

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — One month after a judge declared Google’s search engine an illegal monopoly, the tech giant is defending against another antitrust lawsuit that threatens to break up the company. A judge heard opening statements Monday in the trial at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend Google built and maintains a monopoly over online advertising. The government contends Google’s dominance on both the buy side and the sell side enables it to keep up to 36 cents on the dollar when it brokers sales between publishers and advertisers. Google says the government’s case is based on an outdated perception of the internet.