Google must face consumer antitrust lawsuit over search dominance, US judge rules

Source: Reuters

January 22, 2026 3:50 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Google has failed to persuade a federal judge in California to dismiss a consumer lawsuit accusing the Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit of illegally using business agreements with major tech companies to shut out rivals in the online search market.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin’s on Wednesday said the plaintiffs in the proposed class action had shown adequate evidence to move forward for now on their core claims alleging Google violated federal antitrust laws in developing and maintaining its search dominance.

The lawsuit, filed last year, focuses on agreements Google made with mobile device manufacturers and others. The claims mirror allegations in a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit that led to a ruling in 2024 that the company holds an illegal monopoly in online search.

Lin ruled that the plaintiffs cannot bring claims related to Google's actions prior to 2017, delivering a partial win for Google, but she said they could try to reassert those claims. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and lead attorneys for the consumers had no immediate comment. Google has denied any wrongdoing, and had asked Lin to dismiss the lawsuit.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/google-must-face-consumer-antitrust-lawsuit-over-search-dominance-us-judge-rules-2026-01-22/