A number of us states have decided to file antitrust charges against Google, accusing it of altering its search engine design, abusing its dominant position and crowding out other competitors. A joint antitrust lawsuit filed by the states against Google could be filed as early as Thursday with the Colorado and Nebraska attorneys general.
Companies including amazon, TripAdvisor and other digital platforms have accused Google of highlighting their products in search engines, according to several sources unwilling to reveal their identities, AFP quoted Politico as saying. According to politico, the lawsuits being filed by the states must highlight how Google’s search engine design puts other competitors at a disadvantage.
The us government in October accused the Google of maintaining an “illegal monopoly” in online search and advertising, and launched the biggest antitrust investigation in decades, leaving the door open to its weakening.
The lawsuits, which could take years, draw a new line between governments and big digital companies and could have a huge impact on the industry, AFP reported.
The multistate lawsuit is different from the antitrust lawsuit the justice department filed against Google in October. The doj’s antitrust lawsuit focuses on Google’s exclusive contracts with apple, Mozilla, and Android smartphone makers to set Google as the default search engine on their browsers and mobile devices.
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