Televise the Google trial!
Petition to Judge Amit Mehta:
The public demands a video recording of the Google antitrust trial — it’s too important to not allow public view of these proceedings.
Google’s monopolistic stranglehold on the internet could finally end with a trial coming up in federal court — but the judge wants to keep the trial behind closed doors.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Google in what could be the most important antitrust case of the century.1 But because of general court rules, the trial is unlikely to be televised — even more so because the judge in the case doesn’t think the public is interested.2 We have to let the judge know that the public IS deeply interested in a fully public, accessible stream of the trial. Transparency and public access are core to our democracy.
Sign the petition: Urge Judge Amit Mehta to allow a video broadcast of the Google antitrust trial of the century. The trial starts in less than 2 weeks!
The Google trial, set to begin on September 12, will set a far-reaching precedent for how we’re able to check Big Tech’s power — either empowering antitrust advocates to crack down on runaway corporate power on the internet or making it even more difficult to rein in Big Tech giants. The American people must demand a full transparent live accounting of this landmark trial.
Google achieved their monopoly not by making a better product, but forcing its rivals out of the market. The lack of competition is a disaster for anyone trying to use the internet. Google’s search engine has worsened over the past decade, with it now focusing more on delivering lucrative ads than useful information. Increasingly, search results point you back to the company’s own products like YouTube, where Google can show you more ads and gather more of your data.3
The future of the internet could hinge on this case. The question of how powerful companies like Google, Amazon, Apple, Verizon, and others are allowed to become hangs in the balance. Democracy depends on full transparency in landmark cases on corporate power — we must let Judge Mehta know this case requires a video broadcast before the trial begins in less than 2 weeks!
Add your name: Televise the Google trial!
Sources:
- Washington Post, “Judge clears way for DOJ’s antitrust case against Google to go to trial,” August 4, 2023.
- Matt Stoller on Twitter, “Judge Amit Mehta may not have a public feed for the Google antitrust trial...” August 14, 2023.
- Washington Post, “How does Google’s monopoly hurt you? Try these searches.” October 19, 2020.