In August, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta issued a ruling in the DOJ case that found Google unlawfully maintained its monopoly over general internet search and related advertising. Sensory’s complaint cites portions of that ruling to support its claims that Google unfairly uses its dominant position to stifle competition in the voice assistant market as well.
Sensory’s Business and Google’s Alleged Tactics
Sensory, a company that develops technology to activate voice assistants through “wakewords,” has licensed its technology to major players like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. However, the company claims Google is preventing it from offering its wakeword products on devices that use Google’s Android operating system.
The lawsuit alleges that Google’s contracts with device manufacturers ensure that Google Assistant remains the default voice assistant and restrict the use of competing services. These agreements also purportedly make it difficult for users to switch to alternative voice assistants, cementing Google’s control over mobile search queries.
