The U.S. government's efforts to rein in the power of big tech companies are far from over, with several major lawsuits still in progress. Following the recent landmark antitrust trial against Google's search business, where a federal judge ruled that the company had acted illegally to maintain a monopoly, more legal battles await the tech giants.

Under the previous administration, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) initiated investigations into Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta (formerly Facebook) for potential monopolistic practices. Subsequently, the government filed lawsuits against all four companies, with Google facing legal action twice, as part of an ongoing objective to promote competition and curb their dominance.

The next case on the docket is the lawsuit filed by the FTC and 17 states against Amazon. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon has protected its monopoly position by placing undue pressure on third-party sellers on its vast marketplace and favoring its own services. The FTC argues that these practices harm consumers and even lead to artificially inflated prices. The trial, set for October 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, will determine the outcome of these accusations.

Amazon has responded by seeking the dismissal of the case, contending that it frequently offers low prices to consumers and does not harm sellers on its platform. The company asserts that this lawsuit reflects a "fundamental misunderstanding of retail."

Lina Khan, the chair of the FTC, renowned for her influential antitrust paper on Amazon, remains committed to challenging tech monopolies. Amazon has criticized the lawsuit as "misguided" and warned that a victory for the FTC could result in practices detrimental to both consumers and businesses operating on their platform.

In a separate lawsuit filed in March, the Department of Justice (DOJ) accused Apple of leveraging its dominant position in the smartphone market to stifle competition, inflate prices, and block rival applications. The DOJ joined forces with 15 states and the District of Columbia after a lengthy investigation. The case, currently pending in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, targets Apple's alleged restriction of competing applications in areas such as cloud-based streaming and messaging services.

Apple responded to the lawsuit by filing a motion to dismiss, arguing that its business decisions do not violate antitrust laws and enhance the overall user experience. The company staunchly defended itself, stating that the lawsuit threatened their core principles and the unique qualities that set Apple products apart in highly competitive markets.

In addition to these lawsuits, the DOJ filed a separate antitrust case against Google in January 2023, focused on online advertising. The accusation alleges that Google engaged in anticompetitive mergers, restricting publishers and advertisers to using its ad technology. The trial is scheduled for September in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Regarding Meta, formerly known as Facebook, the FTC sued the company in December 2020, claiming that its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp established a monopoly in the social media market, depriving consumers of alternative platforms. The case has faced various twists and turns, including a dismissal by Judge James Boasberg in 2021 due to the FTC's failure to adequately define the alleged monopolized market. However, the lawsuit was allowed to proceed after the agency refiled. The FTC was joined by 40 states in accusing Facebook of acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp to eliminate potential competition, with regulators seeking to unwind the deals.

Meta has asserted that the acquisitions were not meant to stifle competition and emphasized their substantial investment in innovation for Instagram and WhatsApp.

As the legal battles continue to unfold, the outcomes of these high-stakes lawsuits will shape the future of the tech industry and determine the extent of these companies' power and influence.