Google Wins Digital Maps Antitrust Case in US Court

Alphabet’s Google won a California federal court ruling on Monday, dismissing a proposed class action claiming it restricted how customers use its digital mapping products, resulting in higher prices.

U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco rejected claims by plaintiffs, including Dream Big Media, that Google unlawfully prohibited developers from combining Google and non-Google data in their maps.

The plaintiffs sued in 2022 over Google technology that allows customers to feature a Google map and related information about places and routes on third-party websites or apps.

Seeborg ruled that the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to show that Google was monopolizing mapping services. The case was dismissed with prejudice, preventing it from being refiled.

Google called the lawsuit “baseless” and welcomed the court’s decision. The plaintiffs said they were “exploring options to appeal the decision.”

Also Read: Google Requests Non-Jury Trial in Antitrust Case 

The plaintiff class included businesses, application developers, and individual purchasers of Google mapping products.

The lawsuit argued that map customers should be allowed to “mix and match” Google mapping products with competitor data for interactive features on websites and applications. Google countered that the plaintiffs misinterpreted its mapping terms of service, stating that customers cannot link a Google map to a non-Google one.

Google claimed the plaintiffs failed to show any instance of the company preventing a developer from using or displaying non-Google content with or near a Google Map.

Google faces other lawsuits over its practices and products, including its search business and digital advertising suite.

The company has denied allegations from the U.S. government and others in those cases.

Reuters