The Justice Department on Tuesday sued Google over allegations that its search and advertising empire violated federal antitrust laws, launching what is likely to be a lengthy, bruising legal fight between Washington and Silicon Valley that could have vast implications for the entire tech industry.
The federal government’s landmark lawsuit caps off a roughly year-long investigation that concluded Google wielded its digital dominance to the detriment of corporate rivals and consumers. The complaint contends that Google relied on a mix of special agreements and other problematic business practices to secure an insurmountable lead in online search, capturing the market for nearly 90 percent of all queries in the United States.
To continue reading this Washington Post report, go to:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/20/google-antitrust-doj-lawsuit/
Also see:
U.S. Accuses Google of Illegally Protecting Monopoly
The Justice Department accused Google on Tuesday of illegally protecting its monopoly over search and search advertising, the government’s most significant challenge to a tech company’s market power in a generation and one that could reshape the way consumers use the internet.
In a much-anticipated lawsuit, the agency accused Google of locking up deals with giant partners like Apple and throttling competition through exclusive business contracts and agreements.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-antitrust.html
The Justice Department’s lawsuit against Google will not stop Big Tech’s abuses
This week’s Department of Justice antitrust suit against Google is the agency’s first major case against Big Tech since the 1998 Microsoft suit. It comes on the heels of a 451-page report by the House Antitrust Subcommittee that enumerates the dubious and harmful practices of the dominant digital companies and proposes the reinvigoration of the antitrust laws. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly not far behind with its own antitrust action against Facebook.
All these initiatives are important, but they are not sufficient.
The abusive practices of the dominant digital platforms are so widespread and have become so embedded that there is no single solution. What is needed is a cocktail of remedies that blends antitrust with ongoing regulatory oversight.
https://time.com/5901696/google-antitrust-case/
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2020/10/20/the-justice-departments-lawsuit-against-google-will-not-stop-big-techs-abuses/
The Justice Department is suing Google — but it’s the government’s power to police big tech that’s on trial
The U.S. government’s landmark antitrust lawsuit against Google is about to set in motion a long legal war that could have broad implications for the entire tech industry — and Washington’s future ability to police it.
The Justice Department on Tuesday alleged that Google engaged in unlawful, anticompetitive tactics to grow its search and advertising empires into dominant digital forces, enriching itself and amassing unrivaled market share that makes it impossible for smaller companies to compete and thrive.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/21/justice-department-google-lawsuit-congress/
What Is Happening With the Antitrust Suit Against Google?
The Justice Department sued Google on Tuesday, accusing the company of illegally abusing its dominance in internet search in ways that harm competitors and consumers.
The suit is the first antitrust action against the company, owned by Alphabet, to result from investigations by the Justice Department, Congress, and 50 states and territories. State attorneys general and federal officials have also been investigating Google’s behavior in the market for online advertising. And a group of states is exploring a broader search case against Google.
Here is what you need to know about the suit.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/antitrust-google.html
Google Antitrust Fight Thrusts Low-Key C.E.O. Into the Line of Fire
When Sundar Pichai succeeded Larry Page as the head of Google’s parent company in December, he was handed a bag of problems: Shareholders had sued the company, Alphabet, over big financial packages handed to executives accused of misconduct. An admired office culture was fraying. Most of all, antitrust regulators were circling.
On Tuesday, the Justice Department accused Google of being “a monopoly gatekeeper of the internet,” one that uses anticompetitive tactics to protect and strengthen its dominant hold over web search and search advertising.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/technology/google-antitrust-sundar-pichai.html
Google calls Justice Department lawsuit ‘deeply flawed’
Alphabet Inc’s Google said the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against the company was “deeply flawed” and that users would find it more difficult to access superior search tools and affordable smartphones if the government wins its case.
https://in.reuters.com/article/tech-antitrust-google-response/google-calls-justice-department-lawsuit-deeply-flawed-idINKBN2752AQ
Google antitrust case centers on consumer choice and how rivals get boxed out
The Justice Department’s lawsuit against certain Google business practices is a case unlike any the country has seen in nearly two decades — and could cause ripple effects for generations for Internet users and smaller web companies.
But first, the government must prove its case against the tech giant, which operates some of the most widely used services on the Internet today. Google on Tuesday called the suit “deeply flawed” and said it wouldn’t help consumers. Some experts say that is a short-term view that doesn’t take into account future growth from smaller companies that could be fostered by changes to Google’s business practices.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/20/google-antitrust-suit-faq/
Google Up Against Laws That Thwarted Microsoft (and Others Since 1890)
Two weeks ago, House lawmakers concluded a 16-month investigation into Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook and called for sweeping changes to curb their market power. The lawmakers’ verdict: Traditional antitrust laws aren’t up to the challenge, and the laws need their biggest overhaul in more than 40 years.
But the Justice Department, after its own 16-month investigation, filed a major suit against Google on Tuesday relying on those very same antitrust laws. And according to the agency, the laws are more than enough to successfully challenge Google’s monopoly behavior.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-antitrust-laws-microsoft.html
Why the Government Is Suing Google
The U.S. government sued Google on Tuesday claiming that the company is an illegal monopoly. My colleagues called it “the government’s most significant legal challenge to a tech company’s market power in a generation.”
This legal case is going to be loud, confusing and will most likely drag on for years. More confusing lawsuits against Google from U.S. states are probably coming, too. What will be most important to remember are the big questions at the heart of this: Does Google break the rules to stay on top? And if so, does that hurt all of us?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-lawsuit.html
Justice Department Sues Monopolist Google For Violating Antitrust Laws
Today, the Department of Justice — along with eleven state Attorneys General — filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop Google from unlawfully maintaining monopolies through anticompetitive and exclusionary practices in the search and search advertising markets and to remedy the competitive harms. The participating state Attorneys General offices represent Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, and Texas.
“Today, millions of Americans rely on the Internet and online platforms for their daily lives. Competition in this industry is vitally important, which is why today’s challenge against Google — the gatekeeper of the Internet — for violating antitrust laws is a monumental case both for the Department of Justice and for the American people,” said Attorney General William Barr. “Since my confirmation, I have prioritized the Department’s review of online market-leading platforms to ensure that our technology industries remain competitive. This lawsuit strikes at the heart of Google’s grip over the internet for millions of American consumers, advertisers, small businesses and entrepreneurs beholden to an unlawful monopolist.”
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-monopolist-google-violating-antitrust-laws