Google Monopoly 2025: Is Search Dominance Illegal or Just Better Marketing?

Google dominates internet search. We all know it.  Recent data shows Google's global search market share dropped below 90% for the first time since 2015 in late 2024, hovering around 89-90%.

For most of us, "Google it" is our default response to any question. We don't say "I'll search for it" or "I'll look it up" - we just say "Google it". That's how deeply Google's monopoly has embedded itself in our everyday language.

But the tech giant is facing serious legal pressure on multiple fronts - in the US, and right here in the UK too.

Why should you care?

Because the outcome of Google's antitrust battles will reshape how you find information, how businesses compete online, and potentially how much you pay for digital services. If you run a business, use digital marketing, or simply want to understand where the internet is heading, these legal cases will directly impact you.

So what's really going on?

Is Google winning because of superior marketing and a genuinely better product, or have they crossed the line into illegal monopoly territory?

Let's dig into the evidence - and what it means for your business.

What Makes a Search Engine Monopoly Actually Illegal?

Monopolies aren't automatically illegal under antitrust law. If a company dominates because they genuinely offer the best product, that's just good business. The law only steps in when companies use that dominance to crush competition or block consumer choice.

It's the difference between being brilliant at what you do versus rigging the game so no one else can play.

The key legal test? Whether a company with market dominance uses anticompetitive practices to maintain that position, rather than competing on merit alone.

Google vs Bing: Is This Actually Fair Competition?

While Microsoft's Bing has improved (especially with those ChatGPT-powered AI features), it's still miles behind Google in search engine market share. Here's how they stack up:

Most people would agree Google is their preferred search engine. But here's where the Google antitrust case gets interesting - the real issue isn't whether Google is better. It's how difficult Google makes it for rivals like Bing to compete at all.

The Multi-Billion Dollar Default Game

This is where things get eye-opening. Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure default search engine deals on smartphones and browsers. Court documents revealed they paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 alone to stay as the default on Safari.

Think about it - when did you last change your default search engine? Most of us never do.

This creates a situation where Google doesn't just win through merit - they limit rivals from being easily discovered.

This isn't your typical marketing spend. This is distribution dominance that maintains Google's search monopoly on a massive scale.

The Pub Analogy – And Why It Doesn't Work Here

You might think this is just like how pubs sign exclusive deals with either Coca-Cola or Pepsi. But there are crucial differences in digital markets:

The reality? Exclusivity in pubs doesn't kill off competition entirely. But in tech monopolies, scale and default status can absolutely obliterate it.

It's Not Just Google Playing This Game

Google's strategy isn't unique in the digital competition landscape. Here's how other tech giants operate right at the edge of what's legal:

Amazon hosts millions of third-party sellers, then launches its own competing products and often promotes them prominently in search results. According to various reports, they use marketplace data to identify popular products for their own private label development. Plus, if you want Prime delivery benefits, you generally need to use Amazon's fulfilment system.

Apple controls the entire iOS ecosystem and takes up to 30% of all app revenue through the App Store. They block alternatives to Safari and their payment systems. The EU and UK regulators are also investigating them for stifling fair competition.

Big supermarkets push their own-brand products with the best shelf space and exclusive loyalty discounts. Suppliers report significant pricing pressures, which can make it challenging for smaller brands to compete effectively. That's why we have the Groceries Code Adjudicator and the Competition and Markets Authority keeping an eye on them.

Fair Competition vs Anticompetitive Behaviour: Where's the Line?

When a company uses its size and market power to slam the door shut on the competition, it stops being "just good business." That's exactly what courts and regulators are trying to figure out with Google's illegal monopoly case right now.

Google Antitrust 2025: What's Actually Happening?

Here's where things stand globally: Google lost a major antitrust case in August 2024, with a federal judge ruling that Google's search engine has been illegally using its dominance to crush competition.

The court found that "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly" and enjoys "an 89.2% share of the market for general search services, which increases to 94.9% on mobile devices".

Google has proposed loosening some of its default search agreements but plans to appeal.

UK Google Investigation: The CMA Takes Action

Meanwhile, here in the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched its own investigation into Google under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. This is the CMA's first major investigation under these tough new antitrust rules.

The CMA is looking at whether Google should be designated as having "Strategic Market Status" - basically whether it's so dominant that special rules need to apply.

They're examining three key areas of potential illegal monopoly behaviour:

Exploitative conduct: Whether Google collects and uses consumer data without proper consent, possibly to train its AI models

Self-preference: Whether Google prioritises its own services (like Maps and Shopping) in search results over competitors

Barriers to entry: Whether Google is using its search engine monopoly to stifle innovation, particularly around new AI-powered search alternatives

The CMA has until October 2025 to reach its decision. If Google gets the "Strategic Market Status" designation, they could face requirements to share data with competitors or give publishers more control over how their content is used.

What Could Actually Happen Next?

Before the CMA's October 2025 decision and the US remedies ruling expected in August, businesses need to understand what's coming. If Google's default search engine deals get properly banned globally, we could see:

• Massive fines (we're talking billions)
• Forced break-up of some Google services
• New rules about defaults and app store behaviour
• Requirements for Google to share search data with competitors
• Competitor search engines taking more of the market
  
  

What this means for your business: If you rely heavily on Google for traffic, leads, or sales, these changes could level the playing field - but they might also disrupt your current marketing strategies. Smart businesses are already diversifying their digital marketing approaches.

The UK and EU are already enforcing stricter digital competition rules. The CMA's investigation shows the UK isn't waiting around to see what happens elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google's Monopoly

Is Google Actually a Monopoly?

Yes, according to a US federal court ruling in 2024. The judge found that Google illegally maintained its search monopoly through exclusive deals that blocked competitors.

What is the UK Doing About Google's Dominance?

The UK's CMA launched an investigation in January 2025 under new digital competition laws to determine if Google should face special regulations as a dominant tech company.

Why Can't Other Search Engines Compete with Google?

While Google offers a good service, the main issue is that Google pays billions to be the default search engine on phones and browsers, making it nearly impossible for users to discover alternatives.

Will Google Have to Sell Chrome or Android?

US prosecutors have suggested Google should sell Chrome, but the final decision on remedies is expected in August 2025. The UK investigation is separate and could impose different requirements.

The Bottom Line: What This Means for You

Look, Google is genuinely excellent at search. But when even decent alternatives can't get a foothold - not because they're necessarily worse, but because they're limited by default arrangements - then we've stopped having a competitive market.

For businesses: This could be the biggest shake-up in digital marketing since the rise of social media. Companies that adapt early to a more diverse search landscape will have a competitive advantage.

For consumers: You might finally get real choice in search engines - and potentially better prices for digital services as competition increases.

This isn't really about Google specifically. It's about a much bigger question that regulators worldwide are grappling with in 2025:

In digital markets where the winner often takes absolutely everything, how do we actually draw the line between legitimate success and abuse of power?

The answer will reshape how competition works in the digital world for years to come. With major legal decisions expected throughout 2025 - this could be the year that finally breaks up big tech's stranglehold on digital competition.

The Google antitrust case represents more than just one company's practices. It's a test of whether traditional competition law can adapt to modern digital monopolies.

What do you think?

Are you ready for a post-Google search world? How would changes to Google's dominance affect your business or daily internet use?

This analysis is based on publicly available information and official regulatory announcements.

Author: Jennifer Wright

As BlueSky PR’s Head of Marketing, with almost 10 years’ prior experience in the recruitment industry, Jennifer writes articles and guest posts to inspire recruitment agencies to build their brands, improve their content, bring in more leads and generally make their lives easier.