offerings, which are built on structured data typically sourced from a third-party on topics such as shopping, flights, and hotels. FOF ¶¶ 42, 45.
On the other hand, SVPs respond to queries with a results page that reflects the data possessed or controlled by the SVP. Although some SVPs contain links that direct a user to a site external to the SVP’s platform (such as an online travel aggregator like Kayak), most do not. FOF ¶ 144. Similarly, any advertisements that appear on an SVP’s results page link to products or services within its own platform. FOF ¶ 194. Purchases are typically completed within the SVP itself. Id. As a result of these distinct features, the business models of GSEs and SVPs are fundamentally different. A GSE seeks to attract users on the promise that it will accurately and efficiently answer any query and monetize the commercial ones through advertising. An SVP must attract a user to its site for a commercial purpose to complete a transaction.
Social media sites differ from GSEs in many of the same ways as SVPs. They too are “walled gardens,” primarily driven by user-generated content such as self-uploaded videos on TikTok or photos on Instagram. FOF ¶ 162. Searches on social media only yield results from profiles on the platform and do not display web links to external sites (although social media users can navigate to external web content, such as through a link posted by a user or through an advertisement). Id. There was little evidence presented on the efficacy of social media search. The court thus has no reason to believe that search functionality on social media sites is comparable to that offered by GSEs or even SVPs.
Plaintiffs have sought to distinguish GSEs from other platforms as a “one-stop shop” for all manner of queries, and Google challenges that characterization. U.S. Plaintiffs’ expert, Dr. Michael Whinston, opined that his analysis of Windows query data demonstrated that 77% of users begin their search journeys on GSEs. FOF ¶ 35. Plaintiff States’ expert, Dr. Jonathan Baker,
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