Bipartisan Coalition of 50 Attorneys General Launches Google Antitrust Investigation
A coalition of 50 state and territorial attorneys general opens a major bipartisan antitrust probe into Google's business practices. The investigation focuses on the tech giant's dominance in the online advertising market and its use of consumer data.
Fifty attorneys general from across the United States open a bipartisan antitrust investigation into Google over potential anti-competitive practices. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leads this extensive coalition, which includes officials from 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with only California and Alabama choosing not to participate.
The probe focuses heavily on Google's massive dominance in the digital advertising market and its extensive collection of consumer data. Officials express concern that a lack of competition allows the company to drive up ad prices and force users to trade their personal privacy for supposedly free services.
This state-level action adds significant pressure to Google, which already faces a separate federal antitrust investigation by the Department of Justice. The announcement causes Alphabet shares to dip slightly, though Google states it plans to continue working constructively with regulators to answer their questions about its business operations.