Alphabet(US:GOOG) TechXplore·2025-10-09 12:40Core Viewpoint - Google is seeking to maintain the ability to bundle its popular applications, such as Maps and YouTube, with its Gemini AI service, countering a Justice Department proposal that would restrict this practice [1][5]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings - Google's lawyer stated that there is no evidence that Google has achieved monopoly power in the AI market, nor that Maps or YouTube are monopoly products [2]. - Judge Amit Mehta, who previously ruled that Google monopolized search and search advertising, is working on a remedy for the company's illegal conduct [2][3]. - The Justice Department has proposed that the same restrictions applied to Google's Search, Chrome, and Play should also apply to Gemini, which Google opposes [5]. Group 2: Market Position - YouTube has become the leading TV service for viewers of all ages, surpassing all of Walt Disney Co.'s TV networks and streaming services combined, and generating more advertising revenue than all four major broadcast networks combined [6]. - Google Maps dominates the digital mapping and navigation market, with over 2 billion monthly users globally, significantly outpacing Apple Maps, which had "hundreds of millions" of users in 2020 [7]. - Over 5 million other apps and websites utilize the Google Maps Platform for location services, indicating its extensive reach in the market [8]. Group 3: Competitive Practices - During the trial, it was revealed that Google employs an "all-or-nothing" bundling strategy for device manufacturers, requiring them to preload multiple Google apps to access the Play Store [4]. - Google's lawyer argued that the AI industry is still evolving and that Google should not be restricted from using similar bundling tactics as its competitors, such as Microsoft's CoPilot AI in Office software [9]. - Judge Mehta expressed concerns about allowing Google to leverage its market position by requiring device makers to adopt Gemini to access other popular services like YouTube and Maps [10].