A US federal judge ruled on Monday that Google violated US antitrust laws, finding that it controls about 90 percent of the internet search market.

“After careful consideration and weighing of the evidence and testimony, the Court finds that Google is a ‘monopolist’ and has acted as such to maintain its ‘monopoly,'” explains the text from Judge Amit Mehta of the District of Columbia Circuit. “Section 2 of the Sherman Act has been violated.”” he stressed, referring to the 1890 rule prohibiting monopolies.

The decision represents a major setback for Google’s oldest and most important business, in which the company has invested billions of dollars in exclusive contracts to ensure the dominance of its main search engine on mobile phones and internet browsers.

Those contracts allowed the company to block potential competitors like Bing or DuckDuckGo, according to the complaint that now led to this ruling, pushed during the Donald Trump administration. That dominance has now led to anticompetitive behavior that must stop, according to a federal judge’s ruling reported by CNN.

“This victory over Google is a historic victory for the American people. No company, no matter how big or powerful, is above the law. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

In turn, Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, said that the company intends to appeal the court’s decision, Bloomberg reports.

Google has entered into exclusive contracts with Apple and other big tech companies to ensure its dominance in the mobile phone space, Mehta said. Google also charges high fees for search advertising, which is a consequence of its monopoly, he added.

However, he concluded that Google does not have a monopoly on the overall search advertising market and that competitors such as Amazon.com Inc, Walmart Inc and others have begun offering search-related advertising on their own websites. (Europe Press)