Mozilla Reaction to U.S. v. Google
Today the US Department of Justice (DOJ") filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that it unlawfully maintains monopolies through anticompetitive and exclusionary practices in the search and search advertising markets. While we're still examining the complaint our initial impressions are outlined below.
Like millions of everyday internet users, we share concerns about how Big Tech's growing power can deter innovation and reduce consumer choice. We believe that scrutiny of these issues is healthy, and critical if we're going to build a better internet. We also know from firsthand experience there is no overnight solution to these complex issues. Mozilla's origins are closely tied to the last major antitrust case against Microsoft in the nineties.
In this new lawsuit, the DOJ referenced Google's search agreement with Mozilla as one example of Google's monopolization of the search engine market in the United States. Small and independent companies such as Mozilla thrive by innovating, disrupting and providing users with industry leading features and services in areas like search. The ultimate outcomes of an antitrust lawsuit should not cause collateral damage to the very organizations - like Mozilla - best positioned to drive competition and protect the interests of consumers on the web.
For the past 20 years, Mozilla has been leading the fight for competition, innovation and consumer choice in the browser market and beyond. We have a long track record of creating innovative products and services that respect the privacy and security of consumers, and have successfully pushed the market to follow suit.
Unintended harm to smaller innovators from enforcement actions will be detrimental to the system as a whole, without any meaningful benefit to consumers - and is not how anyone will fix Big Tech. Instead, remedies must look at the ecosystem in its entirety, and allow the flourishing of competition and choice to benefit consumers.
We'll be sharing updates as this matter proceeds.
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