U.S. federal judge rules Google illegally held a monopoly on search and text advertising

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A federal U.S. judge ruled Monday that Google has illegally held a monopoly in two market areas: Search and text advertising.

The ruling marks the first anti-monopoly decision against a tech company in decades.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan group of attorneys general, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, brought the case in 2020, arguing that Google created strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that sustained its dominance.

The court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which outlaws monopolies.

Google officials say they plan to appeal the ruling.

Shares of Alphabet, Google's parent company, fell more than 4% on Monday, dragged down by a broad decline in stocks worldwide.