Unpacking Google’s Week: Antitrust Ruling and Targeting Minors With Meta

Alphabet’s Gmail email service, the world’s largest free email provider, was down Thursday (Aug 8).

But the multi-hour disruption was merely the latest — and potentially the smallest — of a series of developments this week that have cast a shadow over Google’s operations along with its titanic position within the tech industry.

It was on Monday (Aug. 5) that, in a landmark ruling, Alphabet’s Google was found to have illegally monopolized web search.

“This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,” said Google global affairs President Kent Walker in a statement sent to PYMNTS.

There are more antitrust cases alive and ongoing in the tech sector as well, involving Meta and Amazon, among others.

Adding fuel to the tech sector fire, on Thursday (Aug. 8), news broke that Google and Meta made a “secret deal” to target teenagers with ads for Meta’s Instagram platform. Google’s project for Meta was designed to show ads for Instagram to 13- to 17-year-olds and disregarded many of Google’s own internal rules.

The rulings have put Google in a precarious position, challenging the foundation of its dominance in the digital space and leaving the tech giant grappling with significant legal and ethical challenges.

Read more: Tech Industry Braces for Fallout From Google Antitrust Verdict

Making Sense of Google’s Mounting Court Cases

From antitrust rulings that threaten to dismantle its business model to allegations of targeting minors with ads, Google’s path forward appears fraught with hurdles.

At the heart of the antitrust cases is Google’s relationship with Apple and the allegations that Google paid billions to remain the default search engine on Apple devices. This arrangement, critics argue, stifled competition and cemented Google’s monopoly in the search engine market. The recent ruling demands that Google cease these payments, a move that could open the door for competitors like Microsoft’s Bing to gain market share.

As PYMNTS reported, the case, formally known as United States of America et al. v. Google LLC, centered on Google’s extensive and complex business practices that, according to the plaintiffs, stifled competition and innovation. The ruling, detailed in a comprehensive 286-page opinion by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, outlines how Google’s practices created barriers to entry for competitors, thereby maintaining what he called its monopolistic status.

Moreover, the antitrust scrutiny extends beyond the United States. Google faces similar challenges globally, with regulatory bodies in Europe and other regions taking a closer look at its business practices. The cumulative effect of these rulings and investigations poses a significant threat to Google’s traditional revenue streams and its position as a tech behemoth.

As Google navigates these turbulent waters, the tech giant must reassess its strategies and operations. The antitrust rulings demand a restructuring of its business model, particularly in how it dominates the search engine market. Meanwhile, the allegations of targeting minors with ads call for a more ethical approach to advertising.

Read more: Google Vows to Appeal Antitrust Ruling as Tech Industry Speculates on Implications

The challenges facing Google are emblematic of the broader issues within the tech industry, where regulatory scrutiny and ethical considerations are becoming increasingly paramount.

Elsewhere in the tech landscape, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated an investigation into Amazon’s recent partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, a probe that follows closely on the heels of a similar inquiry launched by the CMA into Alphabet’s own partnership with Anthropic.

Meanwhile, PYMNTS reported that two private law firms that played a pivotal role in Texas securing a $1.4 billion biometric privacy settlement with Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, could collectively earn over $300 million in legal fees for their efforts.

But there was some good news this week, too. On Tuesday (Aug. 6) news broke that Web Monetization is coming to Google Chrome, allowing website owners to receive embedded micro-payments as an additional way to generate revenue. PYMNTS unpacked the implications the rise of embedded payments could have for online B2B commerce and marketplace platforms, as well as the opportunity for small- to medium-sized businesses.

On Wednesday (Aug. 7), financial education-focused FinTech Greenlight launched a collaboration with Google. The partnership connects Greenlight’s debit card to Google’s Fitbit Ace LTE, a smartwatch designed for kids, letting them learn to “spend wisely” and tap to pay with their watches.