In a monumental court ruling on Monday, US District Judge Amit Mehta declared that Google had violated US antitrust law with its search business. This verdict is a significant blow to the tech giant, with the potential to reshape how millions of Americans access information online and disrupt decades of Google's dominance.

Judge Mehta's opinion concluded that Google is a monopolist and has actively acted as one to preserve its monopoly status, thus violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The ruling, issued by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, represents a stunning rebuke of Google's oldest and most vital business.

Google's massive investment, amounting to billions of dollars in exclusive contracts, aimed at securing a dominant position as the default search provider on smartphones and web browsers, has come under scrutiny. The US government contended these contracts effectively blocked potential rivals like Microsoft's Bing and DuckDuckGo.

The court determined that Google's exclusive deals with Apple and other key players in the mobile ecosystem were anticompetitive. Additionally, Google's high-priced search advertising, which reflects its monopoly power in search, was identified as further evidence of anticompetitive behavior.

For years, Google's agreements ensured that it was the go-to platform for users seeking information, resulting in the company's immense online advertising business. While the court did not find Google to have a monopoly in search ads, this ruling represents a significant milestone in the US government's ongoing efforts to regulate Big Tech.

The decision is poised to trigger further proceedings to determine the penalties and repercussions Google will face, along with the likelihood of the company filing an appeal. The ruling's potential impact on Google's ability to strike costly deals with device manufacturers and online service providers could fundamentally reshape how the search engine giant makes its product available to users.

Should the court nullify Google's agreements that grant it default search engine status on numerous devices, it could harm the company's core product at a pivotal moment. Analysts warn that Google's ubiquity, particularly as competition intensifies with AI-powered search alternatives like OpenAI's ChatGPT, is its greatest strength.

Beyond its immediate implications for Google, this landmark ruling may set a precedent for other major tech antitrust cases currently making their way through the legal system, such as those involving Apple and Amazon. Both companies have vehemently denied the allegations against them, describing the antitrust lawsuits as baseless.

This verdict comes as the technology industry faces increased scrutiny, echoing the significant tech antitrust case involving Microsoft in the early 2000s. With the case against Google's advertising technology business expected to head to trial in September, the Biden administration's ongoing efforts to address antitrust concerns signal a potential sea change in the regulation of Big Tech.

Neither Google nor the Department of Justice, responsible for bringing the lawsuit, have immediately responded to requests for comment on the ruling. As the case unfolds and its repercussions reverberate throughout the tech industry, stakeholders and industry observers are eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this landmark antitrust battle.