The Department of Justice has accused Google of exploiting its dominance in the internet search market to stifle competition and innovation 

The trial, one of the biggest U.S. antitrust cases in 25 years, will determine the future of the internet and whether Google's search engine will face real competition 

Federal lawyers and state attorneys general will spend the next 10 weeks attempting to prove that Google manipulated the market in its favor by making its search engine the default choice on various devices and platforms 

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to issue a ruling early next year if Google is found guilty of breaking the law 

Top executives from Google and other tech giants, including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple's Eddy Cue, may testify during the trial 

The Justice Department alleges that Google pays billions annually to secure default search engine positions on platforms like the iPhone and web browsers 

Google's dominance in the search market allows it to collect extensive user data, giving it a significant advantage over competitors 

Google is accused of using strong-arm tactics to secure default positions and prevent rivals from emerging 

Google is also accused of deleting documents and hiding others under attorney-client privilege to obstruct the legal process 

Google contends that it faces competition in various forms and that constant improvements to its search engine contribute to its continued popularity