Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Yelp has filed a federal lawsuit against Google, alleging anticompetitive and monopolistic practices in its native search results.
- Can Google be forced to prioritize customer satisfaction, regardless of whether the ideal outcome stems from Google or another source?
- Yelp reportedly aims to have its efforts culminate in a court showdown between the company and Google’s competitors, potentially paving the way for a playing field-leveling antitrust case.
Yelp expresses little satisfaction with Google’s response to their lawsuit, unsurprising given the circumstances. Here is the rewritten text:
A counter-response was purchased from Yelp’s normal counsel, Aaron Schur, highlighting how the company’s case diverges from past actions taken against Google.
Google’s assertion is deceptive. Yelp’s claims have yet to be taken to court, let alone dismissed. In 2023, Judge Mehta ruled in favor of Google, finding no evidence to suggest that its actions against specialized vertical suppliers, such as Yelp, had an anticompetitive effect on the overall search market – although Yelp is not a competitor in the general search space. Yelp alleges that Google hampers its competitors in both the native search and native search advertising markets by leveraging its dominant position to prioritize its own subpar offerings and secure lucrative deals with web browsers and device manufacturers.
Schur continues to remark:
The Federal Trade Commission’s 2011 inquiry focused on allegations of anticompetitive behavior by Google across multiple search categories. The FTC concluded its investigation in early 2013 without bringing an enforcement action, yet made it clear that FTC employees had advised that legal action would be warranted. We vehemently contested that call over a decade ago, when we were denied authorization to take a specific motion, which has been severely criticized and emboldened Google to engage in increasingly anticompetitive behavior. Specifically, it has exploited its dominance by siphoning users towards its own subpar content and away from platforms like Yelp, to the detriment of consumers, competitors, and advertisers alike.
Google has officially responded to our request for a remark. The company dismisses Yelp’s allegations as essentially indistinguishable from the antitrust claims it has successfully countered in the past. A spokesperson explains:
Yelp’s assertions won’t be groundbreaking. Years ago, unrelated claims were dismissed by the court, and recently, similar allegations were rejected by the Department of Justice in its ongoing case. What fascinated us were the opposing characteristics. Google will forcefully contest Yelp’s groundless assertions in court.
Generally, it’s crucial to note when Google’s official arm features a removable notice on the wall: It’s now been [_] days since the last occasion. It’s unlikely the company will reach triple digits in terms of success, as they seem stuck in a cycle of facing new allegations of unfair business practices every few months, casting a shadow over their potential growth. As the latest development in a protracted saga spanning over 15 years, the newest opposition to Google’s search dominance stems from accusations of monopolistic practices.
Yelp and Google were once partners, with the latter leveraging Yelp’s user-generated reviews through a licensing agreement. Following the partnership’s termination, it’s worth noting that Google reportedly attempted to acquire Yelp. Despite the initial agreement not yielding significant movement, tensions between the two companies soon escalated as Yelp accused Google of scraping its content without authorization. Despite being over a decade old, Google Search has undergone significant transformations, placing greater focus on organic content and delivering relevant results directly within search results pages, reducing the need for users to navigate to external sites like Yelp.
The core issue remains, currently being documented in our system. Seeking opinions as we discuss, while Yelp may dominate search results on Google, its own branded content and business profiles often overshadow other off-Google outcomes. With reviews mirroring those found on Yelp, visitors are just one click away from forming similar opinions – yet, with a single step closer, they may feel significantly less motivated to continue exploring.
As a direct result, Yelp believes it is missing out on advertising revenue that is instead being spent directly with Google. The corporation endorses an initiative called, which embodies the idea that Google should prioritize delivering the most excellent results for a query. While initially seeming superficially flawed, further scrutiny reveals a deeply subjective and contentious issue.
Despite the passage of time, this particular conflict has been building for ages; it’s now evident that something will finally be resolved. Whether this development will prompt Yelp to revamp its business model or Google to revamp the search interface again, only time will tell. As it stands today, the fate of each company is effectively in the hands of the courts.
We have contacted Google to seek guidance on this proposed motion and will promptly relay any feedback received.
