Get the latest tech news

Google cut Uncle Sam a $2M check so it could avoid a jury trial

A US federal judge ruled on Friday that an antitrust lawsuit brought by the US government against Google will be decided by a judge and not a jury after Google wrote the government a check, paying back the full amount of monetary damages the lawsuit sought.

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema’s decision on Friday is a setback for the Justice Department, which sought a jury trial for the case. The DOJ and multiple states have alleged in the ad-tech case that Google bulldozed rivals through anticompetitive mergers and bullied publishers and advertisers into using the company’s proprietary ad technology products. “As we’ve said, this case is a meritless attempt to pick winners and losers in a highly competitive industry that has contributed to overwhelming economic growth for businesses of all sizes.

Get the Android app