BIG TECH, BIG PROBLEMS

States File Antitrust Suit Against Google, Alleging It Created a Search Engine Monopoly

It’s the third lawsuit against Google’s business practices in the past two months.

Thirty-eight states and territories filed a lawsuit against Google on Thursday, arguing the company created a monopoly in the search engine business through unfair business practices. “As the gateway to the internet, Google has systematically degraded the ability of other companies to access consumers,” the suit reads. This is the third antitrust lawsuit filed against Google in the last two months. In October, the Justice Department filed a suit also alleging that Google had created a monopoly; earlier this week, 10 states filed a lawsuit accusing the search engine of rigging ad auctions in a deal with Facebook. Antitrust suits against big tech corporations have received bipartisan support in recent months. Last week, 48 state and territorial attorneys general—as well as the Federal Trade Commission—filed a lawsuit against Facebook, demanding the company give up control of Instagram and WhatsApp. You can read the suit here.