A person prepares to search the internet using the Google search engine, on May 14, 2014, in Lille. In a surprise ruling on May 13, the EU's top court said individuals have the right to ask US Internet giant Google to delete personal data produced by its ubiquitous search engine.
As of writing, the Google antitrust trial, conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is still happening.
This 10-week investigation against the search engine giant started around the second week of September, which means it's already nearing its midway point.
The question is, how will this major antitrust trial affect users' search habits if ever DOJ prevails? Here's what you need to know.
Google Antitrust Trial 2023: What It Means To Users' Search Habits
According to ABC News, if the DOJ wins the antitrust trial against Google, users' search habits could drastically change.
If DOJ prevails, Google Search could lose its dominance as a search engine that defines the internet for billions of users across the world.
Experts said that if it is proven that Google has been running an illegal monopoly, the U.S. government could impose a punishment that will open new search options for businesses and regular users pursuing information, e-commerce, and entertainment.
This means that smartphones and web browsers could soon display a selection of different search engines when users are setting their gadgets. European consumers are already taking advantage of this setup.
If the DOJ wins the trial, then American consumers will also have the same search engine setup that Europeans enjoy. However, there could also be some downsides.
It is already known that Google pays huge amounts of money to Apple and other gadget manufacturers just to have its search engine the default option. The payments from Google are somehow making iPhones, Samsung, and other popular electronics cheaper.
Boston College Law School Associate Prof. David Olson said that devices might become more expensive if Google no longer pays big bucks to Apple and other giant tech firms.
"I don't think they will be big, but we could see some price increases because Google has essentially been subsidizing the cost of devices like the iPhone," he added.
Read Also: Google Switches to Passkeys as Default Over Passwords, Touts More Secure Technology
About Google Antitrust Trial
An Indian man surfs on his mobile phone using the Google search engine with its new logo, in Siliguri on September 2,2015. Google refreshed its logo to better suit mobile devices that are supplanting desktop computers when it comes to modern Internet lifestyles.
Search Engine Land reported that the 10-week antitrust trial of DOJ against Google claims that the tech firm has been using underhand tactics to dominate the search engine market.
DOJ officials accused the company of paying massive sums to Apple and other companies to make its search engine the default option on their products, such as iPhones.
They claim that these multi-billion dollar deals give Google an unfair advantage over its competitors, preventing them from having healthy competition or competing against Google.
Some people expect the trial to make a huge impact on the internet. On the other hand, others think the investigation will lead to little to no changes.
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