Google has appealed a federal ruling finding it illegally monopolized search, while emerging mergers in the quantum sector highlight a new wave of market concentration.
The legal infrastructure of the digital economy is facing intense volatility as Google formally noticed its appeal of Judge Amit Mehta’s landmark ruling. The lower court previously found that Google illegally monopolized the general search and search advertising markets through multi-billion-dollar exclusivity deals. By asking the D.C. Circuit to overturn both the liability finding and the subsequent remedies order, Google is attempting to dismantle a legal framework that would have forced it to share search-query and clickstream data with rivals. This appeal likely delays any structural breakup, leaving the existing market hierarchy intact.
Google’s legal team argues that the court’s remedy overreaches by forcing the company to support its own competitors, claiming such mandates risk user privacy and undermine technological investment. However, for small businesses and independent digital publishers, this delay represents a continuation of the status quo where a single gatekeeper controls the flow of information and advertising revenue. The Department of Justice had previously focused on remedies including banning Google’s default-search deals and potentially forcing the divestiture of the Chrome browser or parts of the Android ecosystem. These aggressive measures are now sidelined as the appellate process unfolds.
This legal maneuvering coincides with a second front in the antitrust war. In the Eastern District of Virginia, the DOJ recently secured another win against Google in the advertising technology space. That court found Google unlawfully monopolized the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets. As Google contests parallel monopoly findings in both search and adtech, the company is increasingly viewed by regulators as a dual-threat to market competition, using dominance in one sector to fortify its position in another. The outcome of these cases will define the boundaries of corporate power for the next generation of internet commerce.
While the courts litigate the legacy of the search era, consolidation is accelerating in the next frontier: quantum computing. D-Wave Quantum recently announced an agreement to acquire Quantum Circuits Inc. for approximately $550 million. This merger brings together specialized quantum annealing technology with superconducting gate-model systems. By acquiring the New Haven-based R&D hub led by Yale physicist Rob Schoelkopf, D-Wave is positioning itself as a dominant dual-platform player in a market that is increasingly strategic for national security and industrial optimization.
This acquisition serves as a critical test case for how the FTC and DOJ will treat consolidation in nascent technology sectors. Recent signals from antitrust practitioners suggest that the current administration is moving toward a “remedy-first” stance on vertical tech deals. This was recently illustrated by the clearance of Google’s acquisition of the cybersecurity firm Wiz, which was allowed to proceed only with specific conduct remedies. As the D-Wave deal moves toward a scheduled close in late January 2026, regulators must decide if allowing such concentration in the quantum hardware market will lead to the same monopolistic bottlenecks currently seen in the search and advertising industries.
The broader economic context further complicates these antitrust efforts. With the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond yield surging to 5.11%—its highest level since 2007—the cost of capital is rising for smaller firms. In this environment, large incumbents with massive cash reserves find it easier to acquire potential rivals than to compete with them. For those concerned with individual liberty and free-market competition, the current trend suggests that without decisive intervention, the industrial heart of the new economy will remain under the control of a shrinking number of corporate giants.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Greg’s reporting is deeply informed by the Western spirit of independence and a healthy skepticism of centralized authority. Growing up in the shadows of the Rockies, he witnessed firsthand the importance of local entrepreneurship and the vital role that small-medium enterprises play in sustaining vibrant communities. This upbringing instilled in him a belief that the American Dream is best preserved when the playing field remains level and when competition—rather than backroom deals between corporate lobbyists and federal regulators—dictates success. For Greg, the rugged individualism of his home state serves as a constant reminder that the economy should serve the people, not the other way around.
Now based in Chicago, Illinois, Greg operates from the heart of the nation’s industrial and financial crossroads. His location in the Midwest provides him with a unique vantage point to observe the real-world consequences of corporate overreach. From the boardrooms of the Loop to the manufacturing hubs that define the region, he tracks the movement of capital and the shifting tides of market influence. Chicago’s history as a center of trade and labor offers a rich backdrop for his work, allowing him to bridge the gap between high-level economic theory and the lived experiences of hardworking Americans who feel the squeeze of monopolistic practices.
At Just Right News, Greg’s beat focuses on the “new monopolies” and the rise of “woke” corporate culture. He argues that when corporations become too large, they often abandon their fiduciary duties to shareholders in favor of social engineering and political posturing. His reporting seeks to hold these “Titans” accountable, ensuring that the power of the purse is not used to silence dissent or bypass the democratic process. He is a firm advocate for the idea that true conservatism requires a vigilant defense of competition, preventing any single entity—public or private—from exerting undue control over the lives of citizens.
This mission is most clearly seen in his acclaimed feature series, “The Titans and the Toll.” In this ongoing project, Greg explores the human cost of market consolidation, from the erosion of consumer choice to the decline of local economies. Through rigorous analysis and boots-on-the-ground reporting, he documents how the concentration of power in sectors like tech, agriculture, and finance creates a “toll” paid by the average family.
Greg Sanders remains committed to the idea that a transparent, competitive market is the greatest engine for prosperity ever devised. Through his work at Just Right News, he continues to provide the essential oversight necessary to protect that engine from the encroaching influence of corporate giants and the bureaucratic structures that enable them.