‘ANTICOMPETITIVE CONDUCT’

Texas Attorney General Files Antitrust Suit Against Google

The complaint alleges that Google engaged in “anticompetitive conduct, exclusionary practices, and deceptive misrepresentations” in online ad auctions.

A group of state attorneys general led by Texas’ Ken Paxton filed an antitrust suit against Google Wednesday, alleging the company “used its monopolistic powers to control pricing.” The complaint alleges that Google engaged in “anticompetitive conduct, exclusionary practices, and deceptive misrepresentations” across its huge suite of products. In particular, the company allegedly made clandestine arrangements with Facebook, named a “co-conspirator” in the suit, to stifle competition in digital advertising auctions and give Google access to WhatsApp users’ encrypted messages. The Department of Justice also filed an antitrust suit against Google in October accusing it of monopolistic behavior in its domination of online search. Google responded by calling the suit “meritless.”