Google doesn't have the "durable market power" described here:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-a...
They can't raise prices and exclude competitors long term.
They can't raise prices and exclude competitors long term.
Has this conclusion: "Google has unlawfully maintained its monopoly over general search and search advertising"
The report ended up being buried, but it at least shows that credible people with lots of experience in the area believe strongly they are a monopoly.
Of course they can–remember: they get paid by advertisers, but it's the users that make the decision to use them.
For many businesses, search is the only online ad channel that actually works, and it's not straightforward to see how any competitor could catch up to their technological advantage in search.