Omidyar Network statement on Google antitrust ruling

In response to the recent decision from a federal court on the Google monopoly case, Omidyar Network CEO Mike Kubzansky released the following statement: 

“The ruling underscored that Google broke the law and acted as a monopolist. But, in a twist of irony, it cited AI as a potential source of competition and softened the remedy in ways that will actually strengthen Google’s position in the AI era. With unrivaled engineering talent, vast datasets, massive computing power, deep pockets, and the world’s most powerful monetization engine, Google is poised to extend yesterday’s illegal dominance in search into tomorrow’s AI market.

For consumers, the remedies offered will mean very little change. Google will still dictate how billions of people search, shop, and navigate their digital lives. Competitors and potential innovators will continue to face near-impossible hurdles to break through. The chance for people to have more meaningful choices in their phones, browsers, or search services has been deferred yet again.

The time for incremental tweaks has passed; we need structural solutions that put people back at the center of our digital future. That will require policymakers, at the state and federal levels, to pass comprehensive legislation that puts the interests of people over profits. Consumers deserve real competition in the tech ecosystem, and we, along with many of our grantees and partners, will keep advocating for it.”