Google Antitrust Decision - Internet calls ruling - "Total Whiff"

[Brett_Tabke]

[theverge.com...]

We do not believe the remedies ordered by the court will force the changes necessary to adequately address Google’s illegal behavior.

my take:
[searchengineworld.com...]

[Whitey]

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System: The following 11 messages were cut out of thread at: https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/5120273.htm [webmasterworld.com] by brett_tabke - 5:11 am on Sep 3, 2025 (cst -6)

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No break up or sale of Chrome [bbc.com...]

[guarriman3]

$GOOG +7% in after-hours market.

[christianz]

Absolute disaster for the economy, especially the publisher economy and small businesses that advertise online.

[Fluff_Nutz]

I expected better news to be honest. At first I thought Google and Apple deal was over, now I'm reading conflictions on that. So what good did this even do? At present my traffic is good from G but still I'm not comfortable with only one company controlling the net and its traffic.

[cnvi]

“share data w rivals”. what BS. It’s like they wrote their own punishment.

In 2018, 60 Minutes had information that they have more lobbiests in DC than all of the fortune 500’s combined. You think their position has changed in the past 7 yrs? They aren’t stupid - they made their position stronger. Lots of $$$ changing hands. I think it’s safe to consider that they got away with it for so long, they are too big to be tamed by any US officials.

This news isn’t in the mainstream news tonight because those same lobbiests puppeteer the major networks, worldwide.

It will take leadership outside the US and probably an awareness by it’s US based consumers to cause any change. Personally and for work, I use AI for search. I stopping using search years ago got tired of paid placement results.

So this is very bad for publishers.

What publishers need right now does not currently exist in my opinion.

[goodoldweb]

Another compromised judge. How can a company be declared a monopoly yet face such toothless consequences? The so-called remedies are a joke.

[Whitey]

My guess is that the EU won’t buy into the ruling; they’ll tie this straight to AI Overviews as copyright grab + monopoly abuse rolled into one.

[RubicCubed]

My guess is that the EU won’t buy into the ruling

Have you read the news [gizmodo.com...] about the EU getting cold feet over Trump's threats?

Did Judge Mehta even include a fine in the remedy? The DOJ should appeal the very weak remedies Judge Mehta imposed. If nothing else, Judge Mehta's ruling proves Google is operating above the law.

[Whitey]

@RubicCubed – No fine, just behavioural remedies. That’s why many see it as weak. The Gizmodo angle on EU “cold feet” is political theatre; Brussels has already hard-wired tougher DMA obligations. US goes light, EU still framing Google’s dominance + AI Overviews as copyright + monopoly bundled together.

[goodoldweb]

Let’s hope the DOJ appeals. Otherwise, this trial was nothing more than a Google whitewash.

[tangor]

Money ... follow
Change ... well, that's something else.
Will it be a leader/nation or full out worldwide rebellion? Inquiring minds.

However it works out, it will come to a head. WHEN is the question. Along with "Can we hold out until then?"

Remember "Goose" "Golden" Eggs" "Killed" "No Eggs"
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Nobody wants to kill the golden goose --- AT THIS TIME
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MEANWHILE, there's still a game to play. You in? I am. Ante up!

[Whitey]

The real dilemma is the system itself: one U.S. judge, using century-old antitrust law, is expected to fix a monopoly that shapes the entire internet economy. Too timid for critics, too risky for breakup, so Google skates.

Bang on, @Brett. This wasn’t a remedy, it was a get-out-of-jail card. Put simply, Mehta bets on “AI disruption” to do the DOJ’s job. Total whiff dressed up as justice.

[Juniya]

The current administration, at this time(with the emerging economies of india, china, russia, indonesia etc), cannot allow a giant like Google to suffer ANY setback. That's the story behind the story here.

[christianz]

The current administration, at this time(with the emerging economies of india, china, russia, indonesia etc), cannot allow a giant like Google to suffer ANY setback. That's the story behind the story here.

Why? To make chances of US staying ahead even lower? Google in its current form is slowing down innovation, productivity and even defense potential. Healthy competition between many IT companies would have been much more advantageous for US.

[cnvi]

“ Google in its current form is slowing down innovation, productivity and even defense ”

Exactly. The harm done to small businesses that still rely on paid placement is criminal. G knows a majority of those clicks are bots yet they do nothing about it because it helps to overinflate their stock price.

The US govt has always been slow to enforce laws related to emerging technology. But this current ruling is decimating to SMBs and overall innovation. And with the economy already in rough shape this exacerbates everything search touches. The masses are brainwashed to default search G. Hopefully the trends will move towards AI but that doesn’t resolve publishers concerns.

We are in a new phase of pain.

[mosxu]

I guess the only good thing is at moment the evil has competition but chrome / android has no transparency of what traffic should be and it can be a lot of things…

More over Apple is employing same evil in their next AI ?

[edited by: not2easy at 2:08 pm (utc) on Sep 6, 2025]
[edit reason] O/T political content removed [/edit]

[cnvi]

@mosxu, A sees G gets away w the biggest corporate crimes of the century, so they say f-it, They join party.

[tangor]

Generally I wear the tin foil hat but do remember this case is open to appeal. The next step is SCOTUS and THAT judiciary body is QUITE different than the DC Circuit. Meanwhile, the current case did note that AI was a factor in the judge's determination that "innovation" was not dead, thus took a more cautious approach. Guardrails were attached, insufficient as far as webmasters are concerned, so there was SOME progress made. The song is not yet over. There may be a different ending after the next chorus.

[BigKat]

@tangor

I don't see where any progress was made. Google was in court for the harm they caused markets (businesses and consumers) and Judge Mehta chose to ignore the many victims to instead protect Google using innovation (AI) as an excuse. Pichai and other tech CEOs visited the White House yesterday, and Trump called out Pichai for having a good day in court. Pichai thanked Trump for his admin's cooperation in seeing this case come to a conclusion. It would appear Google is operating under a decree of Presidential immunity, and I highly doubt the DOJ will seek stronger remedies on appeal. In fact, I think it's likely the DOJ will agree to Google's request for softer remedies when Google's appeal is heard.

[tangor]

The DOJ's original attempt was far-reaching (too far) and determined on breaking up the company WITHOUT ACTUALLY ADDRESSING WHAT WAS REALLY WRONG. The suit had flaws and the judge had little recourse. The APPEAL, if any, might have SOME chance at SCOTUS, but as originally filed, is NOT what WEBMASTERS are looking for. Lawyers and Legislators are not TECHS/WEBMASTERS/BUSINESS/CREATORS --- how can they determine what needs be done?

HOWEVER, there was a "win" in that g did not get off scot-free and the DOJ (and the rest of us) ALWAYS have another bite at the APPLE (and that company is also in the crosshairs).

Antitrust TAKES DECADES before judgment day arrives. Even then that judgment RARELY is perfect, or even useful. (Look at Bell, Microsoft, Oil---though Rail was hammered hard!)

[cnvi]

[techtransparencyproject.org ]

This appears to be an accurate view of the shell game they have been playing.

[londrum]

Competition will probably end googles dominance long before the courts do. I can't believe the public haven't moved on already with all the adverts and AI slop they put at the top. It's hard to move the herd

[tangor]

It's hard to move the herd

Generations trained to have adverts on all content from radio/broadcast/cable and newspapers/comics/magazines. The herd is used to the landscape.

On the other hand, generation(s) of webmasters are dependent on being billboards for third parties, whose financial planning does NOT include them.

Almost a No-Win situation. The game, however, is as it is. To play, or not to play, that is the question. (Sorry, Will!)