Lisa McCormick commends antitrust enforcement against Google monopoly

Lisa McCormick commended the U.S. Department of Justice and District Court Judge Amit Mehta for their work on the antitrust case which determined that Google possesses monopoly power in the general online search and search advertising markets, and has partaken in unlawful exclusionary practices to preserve its monopoly status.

Google was found to have violated antitrust law by illegally maintaining a monopoly by compelling device makers to make its service the default internet search engine.

McCormick underscored the detrimental impact of weakened antitrust enforcement on the American economy, emphasizing how the retreat from robust antitrust policies since the 1980s has led to increased market concentration, rising income inequality, and diminished economic opportunities.

"This shift in policy known as Reaganomics, driven by discredited economic theories and a misaligned focus on corporate profit at the expense of broader economic health, has had far-reaching consequences for workers, small businesses, and consumers,” said McCormick, who is best known for earning nearly 40% of the vote in her 2018 Democratic Primary challenge to U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.

“For decades, our antitrust enforcement has been eroded by the false belief that markets are naturally self-correcting and that prioritizing low prices over the welfare of workers and small businesses is in everyone’s best interest,” said McCormick. “This has resulted in a concentrated economy where a few powerful corporations dominate markets, exploit consumers, and stifle competition.”

McCormick applauded President Joe Biden’s administration for restoring effective antitrust enforcement.

She specifically praised the recent partial victory by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in its antitrust case against Google, where the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recognized Google’s monopoly power and illegal exclusionary practices.

The court's opinion, which confirms that Google used its market dominance to engage in anti-competitive behavior, marks a significant step towards reinstating robust antitrust oversight.

Google illegally maintained its monopoly in markets for general search services and general search text advertisements in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

“Google’s strategic deals to pay billions of dollars to be the default search engine on web browsers and mobile devices are a clear example of illegal tactics intended to stifle competition and maintain monopoly power,” said McCormick. “This behavior creates artificial barriers to consumer choice and reinforces the dominance of a single corporation over the market. It’s high time we address these monopolistic practices with the urgency they deserve.”

McCormick also highlighted the European Commission’s decision to require Google to offer a choice screen for default search engines on Android devices, contrasting it with the lack of similar protections in the United States.

“While the European Commission’s choice screen is a step in the right direction, it is not enough. We need comprehensive antitrust reform to protect consumers and foster fair competition,” said McCormick.

Drawing parallels between past and present, McCormick evoked the spirit of President Theodore Roosevelt’s trust-busting era.

“Just as Teddy Roosevelt challenged the excesses of Wall Street financiers and trust titans in his time, we must confront today’s corporate greed,” McCormick said. “The same ruthless pursuit of profit, at the expense of fair wages and reasonable prices, is evident today. It is time to act decisively and restore the principles of fair competition and consumer protection.”

"As corporate titans such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan amassed spectacular fortunes and engaged in conspicuous avarice, the rich grew richer during the Gilded Age, and the poor grew poorer, spurring a demand for reforms,” McCormick said. “Today, we see worse greed by billionaire immigrants like Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk, and Peter Theil, who do not share American values and want to use their wealth to destroy democracy."

In her ongoing efforts to address economic disparities, McCormick is championing the revival of Senator Huey Long’s 1934 Share Our Wealth proposals and advocating for a reversal of Reaganomics—a set of discredited policies that have undermined the economic foundation of American democracy.

“We must move away from policies that favor the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the average American,” said McCormick. “We need a new economic approach that ensures fair opportunities for all and holds corporations accountable.”