In a significant legal victory for Alphabet, the parent company of Google, a California federal court ruled in favor of the tech giant on Monday, dismissing a proposed class action lawsuit that alleged restrictive practices in its digital-mapping products. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco, rejected claims that Google unlawfully limited how developers could use its mapping technology.
The plaintiffs, including Dream Big Media, a marketing company, filed the lawsuit in 2022. They argued that Google’s terms of service unjustly prohibited developers from integrating Google Maps with non-Google data, forcing them to pay higher prices for mapping services. The technology in question allows users to embed Google Maps and related information about locations and routes into third-party websites or apps.
Judge Seeborg’s decision highlighted the plaintiffs’ failure to provide sufficient evidence that Google was monopolizing the market for mapping services. The dismissal was issued with prejudice, meaning the plaintiffs are barred from refiling the case. The proposed class included businesses, application developers, and individual users of Google’s mapping products.
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Central to the lawsuit was the contention that users should have the flexibility to “mix and match” Google’s mapping services with those of its competitors for interactive web and app features. The plaintiffs claimed that Google’s restrictions impeded such interoperability.
Google countered these allegations by arguing that the plaintiffs misunderstood the company’s mapping terms of service. According to Google, customers cannot “link” a Google map with non-Google content. The company also noted that the plaintiffs failed to provide any examples of Google preventing developers from using or displaying non-Google content alongside a Google Map.
While this ruling represents a notable win for Google, the company continues to face other legal challenges. These include lawsuits targeting its search business and digital advertising practices, with allegations from the U.S. government and others claiming anticompetitive behavior. Google has consistently denied these allegations.
Source: Reuters