Monopoly — Online Journal — Columbia Undergraduate Law Review

What a Structural Remedy for Google Means: Implications for Consumers

In the last decade, Google has become synonymous with the internet itself, its search engine serving as the primary gateway for billions of users to access information, commerce, and utilities. Google’s unparalleled dominance in the digital marketplace – particularly in search and advertising – has made the company a focal point of legal scrutiny, provoking inquiry from regulators worldwide. In the United States, this scrutiny has culminated in two ongoing antitrust cases brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), representing the most significant antitrust challenges to a tech giant since United States v. Microsoft in 1998.

Arielle HillockFebruary 19, 2025Monopoly, Antitrust, Google, Department of Justice, Competition, Consumer WelfareMonopoly, Consumer Welfare

The New Public Square of Opinions: Technocratic Giants and Public Utilities

Following a series of state-led cases against technocratic giants, Ohio attorney general David Yost attempted another path to regulation through a 2021 lawsuit demanding that Google be declared a public utility and Google Search become a public utility in the state of Ohio. Such a lawsuit, if successful, would subsequently place Google under the supervision of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Public utilities are generally defined as private and public entities that provide essential service to the public, most often in association with energy and telecommunication establishments.

Skylar WuAugust 22, 2021Technology, Public Utilities, Monopoly, Regulation, Google Search, Antitrust Law