Now California is Investigating Google’s Antitrust Violations Too
- Paul Thurrott
- Jul 13, 2020
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The State of California has joined a growing list of governments that are investigating Google for antitrust violations, according to a new report. The search giant is separately under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Congress, and virtually every other U.S. state in addition to several ongoing cases in the European Union.
Politico, citing three sources, says that California’s antitrust investigation is separate from the investigation that is being jointly undertaken by 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Now, Alabama is the only U.S. state not investigating Google.
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What’s not clear right now is what aspect of Google’s business practices that California is investigating, but California’s antitrust laws are sometimes interpreted more broadly than those of the federal government, Politico says. So it’s possible that California didn’t join the investigation by the other U.S. states so that it could hold Google accountable to its lower standards.
The DOJ could announce charges as soon as August. It is examining allegations that Google is illegally abusing its search market dominance to advantage its advertising business while harming competition.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Google both declined to comment on this news.