Google started in 1998 as tool to search, since then it has acquired more then 240 companies. The U.S. antitrust case against Google’s web search dominance likely will take years to be resolved and, even if successful, may not cut into Google’s business by much. US accuses it is illegally protecting its monopoly over search and search advertising, the government’s most significant challenge to a tech company’s market power in a generation and one that could reshape the way consumers use the internet.

The United States Department of Justice alleging that the search giant is violating antitrust law. A 64-page complaint says that the search giant is guilty of "exclusionary practices that are harmful to competition."

Since 2010, the European Union has launched three separate antitrust investigations into Google for violating the EU's competition laws due to its dominant position in the market. These cases have resulted in formal charges against Google related to Google Shopping, Google AdSense and the Android operating system. To date, Google has been found guilty of antitrust behavior in the cases related to Google AdSense and Android, and has been fined over €8 billion.

American antitrust law is designed to promote innovation and help consumers, not tilt the playing field in favor of particular competitors or make it harder for people to get the services they want.

See how Google invested heavily into owning patents

Google had spend $12.5 billion on Motorola Mobility to fight the patent war against its Android operating system. Acquisition of Motorola has strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies. Then Google sold Motorala Mobility to Lenovo in october 2014 for about $2.9 billion,after kept control of patents ,which he uses today.

Google buys Nest for $3.2 biillion in 2014 and gte into the home automation space by expanding the android ecosystem. Nest sells connected thermostats like the smoke detectors.

Way back in 2007, it has acquired DoubleClick for $3.2 billion, the ad serving company helps Google to get the foothold n the lucrative display advertising industry.

As Google competes with Amazon and Microsoft in the pace of cloud, it has acquired Looker Data Sciences for $2.6 billion.

Data is the new oil, Google strongly believes it, to get into the health space, it has acquired Fitbit fo $2.1 billion. However EU officials have given tye deadline of Jan 8,2021 to make their decision.

Way back 2006, it has acquired youtube for rs.$1.65 billion to strengthen the media to view from TV to on-line viewing, while the traffic increasing brings a huge amount of advtg. Business.

It has acquired an ISRAIL company in 2017 for $ 1.2 billion, which is forays into mapping services waze ,to help to improve the google maps.

Google acquired HTC Pixel smart phone division for $1.1 billion, to get into smartphone design by giving a strong manufacturing presence in Taiwan.

Google is building toward a future where all devices just work together and technology fades into the background. Hence purchased AR glasses company North, the Canadian startup best known for Focals, its $600 smart glasses.

10. On 26 January 2014, Google announced the company had acquired DeepMind Technologies for $500 million. It is a company into artificial intelligence company from London.

The current action alleges that Google is forcing device makers to include its apps and search services with Android mobile devices, thereby reinforcing its monopoly in search and search advertising.

Now an ultimate question comes, if Google should be found guilty? And if the case results in a guilty verdict, what do you think is the best remedy?

Attorney General William P. Barr had spoken publicly about the investigation for months. He urged the agency to file a case by the end of September, prompting resistance from some of its lawyers who wanted more time and complained of political motivations.

Google has long denied accusations of antitrust violations, and the company is expected to fight the government’s efforts by using its global network of lawyers, economists and lobbyists. Alphabet, valued at $1.04 trillion and with cash reserves of $120 billion, has fought similar antitrust lawsuits in Europe. The company spent $12.7 million lobbying in the United States in 2019, making it one of the top corporate spenders in Washington.

At the same time, Google faces a strong competition from powerful companies such as Amazon and Facebook as well as young foes like TikTok pose the biggest risk to Google’s fortunes. An antitrust challenge, therefore, is less of a direct threat. That may be one of the many reasons why Google co-founder Larry Page, when he was still in charge of the company and its parent Alphabet, could barely be bothered to discuss antitrust issues with colleagues, said people who know him.

The scrutiny reflects how Google has become a dominant player in communications, commerce and media over the last two decades. Last year, Google brought in $34.3 billion in search revenue in the United States, and this figure is expected to grow to $42.5 billion by 2022, the firm said.

An antitrust lawsuit marks the start, not the end, of the government’s antitrust fight with Google. It could take years for the courts to resolve whether the company violated the Sherman Act.

The Justice Department also investigated Google’s behavior and acquisitions in the overall market for digital advertising, which includes search, web display and video ads. The department further pointed out that, Google estimates that almost 50 percent of its search traffic originated on Apple devices in 2019. Because it is such a large portion of its queries, Google pays the iPhone maker an estimated $8 billion to $12 billion a year to remain the default option on its phones, iPads and Mac computers.