VOA科学技术2023--How Google's Antitrust Trial Could Change the Internet Search Market

How Google's Antitrust Trial Could Change the Internet Search Market

A court in the United States is hearing evidence in a case against search engine provider Google. The government accuses the company of using illegal methods to crush business competitors.

The U.S. Department of Justice is leading the case against Google in a court in Washington, D.C.

The trial could change the way Google is permitted to do business in the future. The case is one of the biggest antitrust trials in American history. Antitrust is a term relating to laws designed to prevent illegal competition.

If the trial judge rules in favor of the government, the resulting punishment could lead to new online search possibilities for individual users and businesses.

Google's search engine earned a huge market share by helping¹ people quickly connect to the wealth of information available on the internet. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed the search technology in the late 1990s.

The Justice Department argues that Google has an unfair advantage in the market because its search engine is the default choice on the world's most popular smartphones and web browsers².

Witnesses from device makers³, service providers and Google recently testified about one way the company's search engine is able to remain the default choice. They said the company pays an estimated $10 billion yearly to phone makers and other businesses in exchange for the default position.

In opening arguments, Justice Department lawyer Kenneth Dintzer said, "This case is about the future of the internet and whether Google will ever face meaningful competition in search."

Google has denied accusations⁴ that it uses unlawful methods to keep its huge market share. It says its search engine is wildly popular across the world because it offers users a high level of quality. Google lawyers have also argued that any users not happy with its search services can easily change to competitors.

But industry experts point out that many users choose to keep Google as the default so they do not have to take additional steps to change it. Research has shown that because of this ease, very few people change the default setting of Google.

The chief executives from two privacy-centered search engines, DuckDuckGo and Neeva, have argued that the default system favors Google and hurts their businesses. Neeva closed its operations earlier this year.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also testified that Google has established a strong hold over users over the years. "You get up in the morning, you brush your teeth and you search on Google," Nadella said. He added that the only way to break this dependence⁵ is to remove Google as the default choice.

To solve this problem, industry experts say the judge may order a requirement for smartphones and web browsers to present a series of search engines to users during the setup process. This is already being done in Europe. But research shows that so far, most European users are still choosing to go with Google.

Florian Schaub is a professor of information at the University of Michigan who has studied people's online behavior. He says the fairest result in the trial would be a total ban on default agreements between technology companies.

Schaub spoke⁶ to the Associated Press.

He said the current search environment is being shaped "by the big companies that control the space." He added, "What the government can do is inject some neutralism into this and give consumers some actual choices."

Earlier this month, a Justice Department lawyer accused Google in court of using unfair methods to push up internet advertising⁷ prices. The government argues that "Google now controls the digital tool that nearly every major website publisher uses to sell ads on their websites."

The Justice Department accuses Google of using unfair methods to control online auctions⁹ that connect buyers and sellers of online advertising. By making small changes to the auction⁸ system, Google can drive ad prices up to make more money, government lawyers say.

Advertisers and website publishers have long criticized Google's ad business as being too complex and secretive.

Words in This Story

default – n. what exists or happens if no changes are made

testify – v. to make a declaration under oath for the purpose of establishing a fact (as in a court)

consumer – n. someone who buys goods or services

auction – n. a sale in which things are sold to the person offering the most money

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 browsers   

浏览器

参考例句：

• Three-layer architecture is a model made up of browser, web server and background database server. 这种体系结构是由Browser、Web Server、Database Server组成的浏览器／Web服务器／后台数据库服务器三层模型。 来自互联网
• Another excellent approach is to abandon the browser entirely and, instead, create a non-browser-based, Internet-enabled application. 另一个非常好的方法是干脆放弃浏览器，取而代之，创建一个不基于浏览器，但却是基于互联网的应用。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

8 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

9 auctions   

n.拍卖，拍卖方式( auction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They picked up most of the furniture at auctions in country towns. 他们大部分的家具都是在乡村镇上的拍卖处买的。 来自辞典例句
• Our dealers didn't want these cars, so we had to dump them at auctions. 我们的承销商都不要这些车子，因此我们只好贱价拍卖。 来自辞典例句