Is the popular Google search engine acting like a monopoly?

Yes, says SC Attorney General Alan Wilson.

Wilson, the Department of Justice and 10 other state Aattorneys general have filed an antitrust lawsuit to prevent Google from unlawfully maintaining monopolies through ant-competitive and exclusionary practices in the search and search advertising.

“Google’s monopoly is hurting consumers in South Carolina and across the country and we think the company’s actions violate federal laws,” Wilson said. “This affects every device that has access to the internet, from computers to cell phones.”

As one of the wealthiest companies on the planet with a market value of $1 trillion, Google is the monopoly gatekeeper to the internet for billions of users and countless advertisers worldwide, he said.

"For years, Google has accounted for almost 90% of all search queries in the United States." 

As alleged, Google has entered exclusionary agreements to lock up primary avenues through which users access search engines, and thus the internet, by requiring that Google be set as the default or exclusive search engine.

The complaint alleges Google has unlawfully maintained monopolies by:

• Entering into exclusivity agreements that forbid preinstallation of any competing search service.
• Entering into tying and other arrangements that force preinstallation of its search applications in prime locations on mobile devices and make them undeletable, regardless of consumer preference. 
• Entering into long-term agreements with Apple that require Google to be the default – and de facto exclusive – general search engine on Apple’s popular Safari browser and other Apple search tools.
• Generally using monopoly profits to buy preferential treatment for its search engine on devices, web browsers, and other search access points, creating a continuous and self-reinforcing cycle of monopolization.