Federal Judge Upholds DOJ's Finding of Google's Search Monopoly

A federal court recognized DOJ findings that Google holds a search monopoly, aiding Yelp's lawsuit.

On July 1, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen ruled that Google is bound by the market definition and monopoly power findings from the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) monopolization case. This ruling applies in Yelp's ongoing antitrust litigation against Google.

The DOJ's 2025 case found that general search services constitute a relevant antitrust market and that Google has held monopoly power in that market from at least 2009 through August 2024. In September 2025, Judge Amit Mehta confirmed that Google violated antitrust laws by maintaining its monopoly in online search and search advertising.

Judge Mehta's ruling barred Google from exclusive contracts involving Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. Google was also ordered to open up certain search index and user-interaction data to competitors and provide syndication of search and search text ads to foster market competition.

Google appealed this ruling in May 2026, arguing that its dominance was earned through fair competition rather than anticompetitive behavior, as reported by MacRumors. The company stated it "just prevailed in the marketplace fair and square." However, the courts have so far maintained these monopoly findings.

Judge van Keulen's decision to apply the DOJ's findings directly to Yelp's suit represents a significant advancement for Yelp, which alleges Google unfairly prioritizes its own services in search results. This judicial alignment with the DOJ's antitrust analysis may influence broader scrutiny and regulatory actions targeting Big Tech platforms.

While details on how this ruling will specifically affect Yelp’s lawsuit progression remain limited, it solidifies the legal framework recognizing Google's monopoly status in search. Google’s response to Judge van Keulen's ruling has not been publicly detailed as of now.