Hmmmm?
Mehta ruled that the Justice Department was right in saying that Google violated antitrust law by forging restrictive contracts with Apple and other phone makers that required them to install Google as the default search engine on smartphones. He also decried other practices of the Alphabet Inc. unit that prevented its rivals from competing on an even playing field….
…
The consequences of the ruling for Google and the broad online ecosystem are still unclear. The judge will rule on “remedies” for the case in the coming months. One potential measure would be for the court to block Google from paying to secure prime placement for its search engine on Apple’s iPhones and other devices and web browsers. But that could work out in Google’s favor, since its search engine might still be selected, and the company then wouldn’t have to pay the billions of dollars it currently does to secure that placement. Such a ruling could also end up depriving Apple of a significant source of revenue.
Other proposals from antitrust experts include requiring browsers and phone makers to directly ask consumers which search engine they would like to use when they first set up their device. This system has been tried in Europe, where Google has still largely maintained its dominance…..