Case Report: Yelp Challenges Google Over Its Search Engine Monopoly (Yelp Inc. v. Google LLC)
This newsletter unpacks Yelp’s contested lawsuit against Google’s search engine power and what it means for fair digital competition globally.
Yelp is taking on Google in a major court case that could change how we experience online search. The dispute focuses on how Google presents results and whether it gives itself an unfair advantage over platforms like Yelp. This newsletter breaks down what is happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for users, businesses, and the future of digital competition.
🏛️ Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
🗓️ Judgment Date: 22 April 2025
🗂️ Case Number: 24-cv-06101-SVK
Unfair Competition and Potential Market Abuse: Yelp Inc. v. Google LLC
This case involved digital marketplace and competition:
Can a tech giant like Google use its power as the go-to general search engine to unfairly dominate and limit competition in other specialised search markets like local business searches?
Yelp, a company known for helping people find local restaurants, shops and services (often with those helpful star ratings ⭐), argues that Google has crossed the line by prioritising its own local search results over those from competitors like Yelp.
This practice is known as "self-preferencing"; imagine searching for a local café, and Google shows you results from its own products first, even if other sites may have better or more accurate information.
Yelp claims this behaviour is not just competitive, it is anticompetitive, that is, it goes beyond healthy business rivalry and starts hurting fair market access.
They stated that Google was using its dominance in general internet search (where almost everyone starts) as a lever to take over local search and local advertising, leaving other companies like Yelp struggling to be seen.
The legal issue made reference to Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which is meant to stop companies from using monopoly power to crush competition.
Yelp is arguing that Google is:
Monopolizing the local search services market,
Attempting to monopolize local search advertising,
Illegally tying its general search services to its local search products, and
Designing its services in a way that intentionally disadvantages competitors.
This case raises essential questions about digital fairness, market manipulation, and what it means for innovation and competition when one platform controls the gateway to the internet.
For everyday users, the outcome could impact how freely we access and compare online information, whether we realize it or not.
Did Google Abuse its Market Power?
Yelp is a company that helps people find and review local businesses like restaurants, dentists, gyms, and coffee shops. The platform provides detailed information, photos, and user-generated reviews.