Google accused of destroying evidence in monopoly case

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Google’s got some ‘splainin’ to do. The search company is in hot water over allegations that it’s been playing dirty in its ongoing monopoly case.

Mercury News reports that by “playing dirty,” we mean allegedly destroying evidence and lying to the court.

It all started when a Google director realized that his chat history was still intact – which meant all those juicy conversations about digital ad prices could be used against them in court.

Cue panic mode.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Judges have accused Google of using messaging platforms with auto-delete features to keep incriminating evidence out of reach.

To make matters worse, they allegedly added lawyers to chats to claim attorney-client privilege—even when they weren’t actually discussing legal stuff.

Google’s Defense: We’re Just Trying to Help (Wink, Wink)

Google’s response? According to the Mercury News, their agreements with manufacturers are about enhancing user experience (i.e., locking you into their ecosystem).

Google wasn’t just twiddling its thumbs while dominating the search engine scene. Nope, they were fully aware of their monopoly game and still went ahead with deals that would lock in their top spot, leaving competitors like Bing and Yahoo eating their dust.

But critics aren’t buying it. They argue that these agreements stifle competition and solidify Google’s grip on the search market. Who’s right? If you own a website, the answer is pretty obvious, but that’s for the courts to decide.

This debacle is another example of how tech giants think they’re above the law. It’s time for regulators to, you know, regulate, and hold these companies accountable.

Will Google’s shenanigans lead to real change? Or will they just get a slap on the wrist? The stakes are high—not just for Google but also for consumers and competitors alike.

As we wait for the courts to sift through the evidence (or lack thereof), one thing is clear: Google’s got some serious ‘splainin’ to do.

And we’re not just talking about those deleted chats – we’re talking about the company’s entire approach to competition and transparency.

Remember, this is a company that tells other websites how they should be run. If not, Google can yank away all the search traffic generated to your site just because you didn’t play by their rules. Turns out, they’re breaking all the rules too.

We’re curious about your take on Google’s tactics. Do you think these allegations will lead to meaningful changes in how tech giants operate, or is it business as usual? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.