一名联邦法官星期一(8月5日)裁定，谷歌无处不在的搜索引擎一直在非法利用其主导地位压制竞争并扼杀创新，这一重大裁决可能会撼动互联网并阻碍这家全球最知名的公司之一的发展。联邦地区法官阿米特·梅塔(Amit Mehta)做出这项备受期待的裁决之前，美国司法部起诉谷歌一案的审判已经开始了一年多，这是美国25年来最大的反垄断对决。在查看了包括谷歌、微软和苹果高管在去年为期10周的庭审中的证词在内的证据之后，梅塔在双方于5月初提出结案陈词三个月后做出了可能改变市场的判决。
A federal judge ruled on Monday (August 5) that Google's ubiquitous search engine has been illegally leveraging its dominant position to suppress competition and stifle innovation, a significant decision that could shake up the internet and hinder the development of one of the world's most renowned companies. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued this long-awaited ruling after more than a year of trial in the U.S. Justice Department's case against Google, marking the largest antitrust showdown in the United States in 25 years. After reviewing evidence, including testimony from Google, Microsoft, and Apple executives during the 10-week trial last year, Mehta delivered the potentially market-altering verdict three months after both sides presented their closing arguments in early May.
"在仔细考虑和衡量证人证词和证据后，法院得出以下结论：谷歌是垄断者，并且它一直以垄断者的身份维护其垄断地位，"梅塔在长达277页的裁决书中写道。这对谷歌及其母公司Alphabet Inc.来说是一个重大挫折，后者曾坚定地认为，谷歌的受欢迎程度源于消费者对使用该搜索引擎的强烈渴望，这一搜索引擎功能如此强大，以至于它已成为在线查找的代名词。根据投资公司BOND最近发布的一项研究，谷歌的搜索引擎目前每天在全球范围内处理约85亿次查询，几乎是12年前的一倍。
"After careful consideration and weighing of witness testimony and evidence, the court concludes the following: Google is a monopolist, and it has maintained its monopoly position as a monopolist," Mehta wrote in his 277-page ruling. This is a major setback for Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., which had steadfastly maintained that Google's popularity stemmed from consumers' strong desire to use the search engine, a tool so powerful that it has become synonymous with online searching. According to a recent study by investment firm BOND, Google's search engine currently processes about 8.5 billion queries daily worldwide, nearly double the number from 12 years ago.
谷歌几乎肯定会对这一裁决提出上诉，最终可能会上达美国最高法院。目前，这一裁决站在司法部的反垄断监管机构一边，该机构在近四年前唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)担任总统时提起了这一诉讼，并在乔·拜登(Joe Biden)总统执政期间加大了遏制大型科技公司权力的力度。该案将谷歌描绘成一个技术恶霸，它有条不紊地阻挠竞争以保护它的搜索引擎，而这一搜索引擎已成为数字广告机器的核心，去年创造了近2400亿美元的收入。
Google is almost certain to appeal this ruling, which could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. For now, the decision sides with the Justice Department's antitrust regulators, who initiated this lawsuit nearly four years ago during Donald Trump's presidency and have intensified efforts to curb the power of big tech companies under President Joe Biden's administration. The case portrays Google as a tech bully that methodically thwarted competition to protect its search engine, which has become the core of a digital advertising machine that generated nearly $240 billion in revenue last year.
司法部律师辩称，谷歌的垄断使其能够向广告商收取人为的高价，同时还享受着必须投入更多时间和金钱来改善其搜索引擎质量的奢侈--这种随意的做法损害了消费者的利益。正如预期的那样，梅塔的裁决重点是谷歌每年花费数十亿美元将其搜索引擎安装为新手机和科技产品的默认选项。梅塔在裁决中表示，仅在2021年，谷歌就花费了超过260亿美元来锁定这些默认协议。
Justice Department lawyers argued that Google's monopoly allowed it to charge artificially high prices to advertisers while also enjoying the luxury of not having to invest more time and money in improving the quality of its search engine - a cavalier approach that harmed consumers. As expected, Mehta's ruling focused on Google's annual expenditure of billions of dollars to install its search engine as the default option on new phones and tech products. In his ruling, Mehta stated that Google spent over $26 billion in 2021 alone to secure these default agreements.
谷歌嘲笑这些指控，并指出消费者在对获得的结果感到失望时，通常会更换搜索引擎。例如，雅虎--现在是互联网上的一个小角色--在谷歌出现之前的1990年代是最受欢迎的搜索引擎。梅塔说，审判中的证据显示了默认设置的重要性。他指出，微软的必应(Bing)搜索引擎在Microsoft Edge浏览器的搜索市场占有80%的份额。法官表示，这表明如果谷歌没有被锁定为预定的默认选项，其他搜索引擎也可以取得成功。
Google scoffed at these allegations, pointing out that consumers typically switch search engines when dissatisfied with the results they receive. For instance, Yahoo - now a minor player on the internet - was the most popular search engine in the 1990s before Google emerged. Mehta said the evidence in the trial demonstrated the importance of default settings. He noted that Microsoft's Bing search engine holds an 80% share of the search market on the Microsoft Edge browser. The judge stated that this indicates other search engines could succeed if Google were not locked in as the predetermined default option.
尽管如此，梅塔也承认谷歌产品的质量是其主导地位的重要组成部分，并直言不讳地表示"谷歌被广泛认为是美国最好的(通用搜索引擎)"。梅塔得出的结论是，谷歌一直在进行非法垄断，这为下一步法律程序打下了基础，以确定应采取何种改变或处罚措施，以扭转造成的损害并恢复更具竞争力的环境。
Nevertheless, Mehta also acknowledged that the quality of Google's products is a significant component of its dominant position, and frankly stated that "Google is widely regarded as the best (general search engine) in the United States." Mehta's conclusion that Google has been engaged in illegal monopolization lays the groundwork for the next legal proceedings to determine what changes or punitive measures should be taken to reverse the damage caused and restore a more competitive environment.
潜在结果可能导致一项范围广泛的命令，要求谷歌拆除其互联网帝国的一些支柱，或阻止其每年投入数十亿美元以确保其搜索引擎自动回答iPhone和其他互联网连接设备上的查询。在下一阶段之后，法官可能会得出结论，只需进行适度的改变即可实现公平竞争。如果发生重大变动，可能会成为微软的一次政变，微软自身的力量在1990年代后期受到削弱，当时司法部针对这家软件制造商提起了反垄断诉讼，指控其滥用其Windows操作系统在个人电脑上的主导地位来阻止竞争。
Potential outcomes could lead to a wide-ranging order requiring Google to dismantle some pillars of its internet empire, or prevent it from investing billions annually to ensure its search engine automatically answers queries on iPhones and other internet-connected devices. After the next phase, the judge might conclude that only modest changes are necessary to achieve fair competition. If significant changes occur, it could be a coup for Microsoft, whose own power was diminished in the late 1990s when the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against the software maker, accusing it of abusing its dominant position with the Windows operating system on personal computers to stifle competition.
微软的那起案件在几个方面与针对谷歌的案件如出一辙，现在的结果也可能与之类似。正如微软激烈的反垄断战造成的干扰和障碍为谷歌在1998年成立后带来了更多机会一样，对谷歌的这一判决可能对微软来说是一个福音，微软的市值已经超过3万亿美元。Alphabet的市值一度超过微软，但现在落后于这一竞争对手，市值约为2万亿美元。
Microsoft's case parallels the one against Google in several aspects, and the current outcome might be similar. Just as the disruptions and obstacles caused by Microsoft's fierce antitrust battle created more opportunities for Google after its founding in 1998, this ruling against Google could be a boon for Microsoft, whose market value has surpassed $3 trillion. Alphabet's market value once exceeded Microsoft's but now trails behind this competitor, with a market capitalization of about $2 trillion.
除了推动微软的必应搜索引擎的发展，这一结果还可能在人工智能时代影响技术的关键转折点上损害谷歌。微软和谷歌都是人工智能领域的早期领导者，梅塔这一动摇市场的决定可能会影响到两者间的竞争。微软首席执行官萨蒂亚·纳德拉(Satya Nadella)是司法部的主要证人之一，他在证词中表示，他对谷歌与苹果等公司达成的交易感到沮丧，这些交易让必应搜索引擎几乎不可能取得任何进展，尽管微软自2009年以来投入了超过1000亿美元进行改进。
In addition to boosting the development of Microsoft's Bing search engine, this outcome could also harm Google at a critical turning point for technology in the age of artificial intelligence. Both Microsoft and Google are early leaders in the AI field, and Mehta's market-shaking decision could affect the competition between the two. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, one of the Justice Department's key witnesses, testified that he was frustrated by Google's deals with companies like Apple, which made it nearly impossible for the Bing search engine to make any headway, despite Microsoft investing over $100 billion in improvements since 2009.
"你早上起床，刷牙，然后在谷歌上搜索，"纳德拉在证词中说道。"每个人都在谈论开放网络，但实际上谷歌网络是存在的。"纳德拉还表示，他担心，随着人工智能在搜索领域成为一股越来越强大的力量，可能需要采取反垄断打击措施，以确保情况不会变得更糟。"尽管我对人工智能的新视角感到兴奋，但我非常担心，我陷入的这个恶性循环可能会变得更加恶性，"纳德拉在证人席上说。
"You wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, and then search on Google," Nadella said in his testimony. "Everyone talks about the open web, but in reality, the Google web exists." Nadella also expressed concern that as artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly powerful force in the search domain, antitrust action may be necessary to ensure the situation doesn't worsen. "While I'm excited about the new perspectives of AI, I'm very worried that this vicious cycle I'm trapped in could become even more vicious," Nadella said on the witness stand.
除此之外，谷歌还在美国国内和海外面临着其他法律威胁。美国司法部指控谷歌广告技术构成非法垄断，一宗联邦审判将于九月份在弗吉尼亚州开庭。
(本文依据了美联社的报道。)
In addition to this, Google faces other legal threats both domestically in the United States and overseas. The U.S. Justice Department has accused Google's ad technology of constituting an illegal monopoly, with a federal trial set to begin in Virginia in September.
(This article is based on reporting from the Associated Press.)
Source: Voice of America