WASHINGTON – Google was attacked on Thursday in an antitrust case joined by 38 states.
Alphabet Inc.
GOOG -0.86%.
The entity has maintained a monopoly position in the Internet search market through anti-competitive contracts and practices.
States claim that Google uses its position as the dominant search engine and the personal data it collects in this way to discourage consumers from using competing search engines, to force companies to use their own advertising tools, and to exclude competition from travel search engines or local businesses.
Consumers get better products and services when they have choice in the marketplace, and they have been denied that choice, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a videoconference with other state attorneys general.
This will be a joint effort, the Iowa Attorney General said.
Tom Miller,
Republicans.
Google has long argued that it operates in a competitive market. In a blog post published Thursday, Google’s director of economic policy
Adam Cohen
reports that some of the measures described in the trial have been taken to improve the research results.
We present information that will help you to make direct contact with companies and reach more customers, Cohen wrote. This lawsuit obliges us to change the design of Google Search, forcing us to use online intermediaries instead of making direct connections to companies.
Thirty-eight states filed on the 20th. October filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., where the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Google, contesting its search activity.
Mr. Weiser said they want to combine the two tests into one. Another state case involving Google’s digital advertising empire was filed in Texas federal court on Wednesday.
Thursday’s complaint asks the court to order measures to prevent Google from harming competition, including, but not limited to, structural exemptions. States have not specified what seizures they could pursue.
Google called the state and the Texas lawsuit a profound error, arguing that it is competitive and has a dominant position because consumers choose their product first.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, adds non-detailed allegations in two other lawsuits, echoing long-standing concerns raised by specialized digital information providers such as Yelp Inc.
Tripadvisor Inc.
TRIPS – 2.09
That Google discriminated against them to limit their growth. Both companies welcomed this measure.
One of the costs concerns SA360, the advertising tool of the Internet search engine Google. Google has promised advertisers that they can use this tool to advertise on the Google search engine, but also on other search engines such as
Microsoft Corporation
MSFT 0.06%.
Bing, but actually developed a tool to give his own search engine a head start, depending on the trial.
In response, Google executives told reporters in a conference call Thursday that the company is not required to help advertisers place ads with its competitors.
The lawsuit also accuses Google of trying to stifle competition with rivals who can absorb traffic and revenue through the use of new technologies or specialized services. Reference is made to contractual requirements and other measures to ensure that mobile phones, voice assistants, connected cars and other technologies use Google searches, in accordance with the lawsuit. Google managers said these markets are very competitive.
Sundar Pichai, CEO ofAlphabet, said the company faces fierce competition.
Photo:
Michael Reynolds/Presspool
It also emphasizes how Google develops search results. It claims that when people search for an electrician or a hotel, Google displays advertisements and other results in a way that favors travel or Google-owned referral services over those of other companies.
In a blog post, Cohen of Google pointed out that some of the allegations of bias in the FTC’s search were being addressed under the Obama administration, and the FTC decided not to press charges.
The state process also repeats some of the accusations made in the Ministry of Justice process, such as B. the accusation that Google has disqualified competitors by entering into an agreement with Google.
Apple Inc.
AAPL 0.70
to make Google the default search engine on your iPhone.
The lawsuit currently being filed in Texas is different from the two lawsuits filed in Washington, D.C. It accuses Google of abusing its power in the complex and high-tech Internet advertising market.
Some of these lawsuits may later be added to other lawsuits filed in Washington. According to people familiar with the research, the Ministry of Justice asks Google’s competitors detailed questions about this part of the company.
The applications submitted separately partly reflect a practical division of labour. Agencies with limited resources have investigated various aspects of Google.
The films also have a political undertone. The head of Wednesday’s hearing, the Texas Attorney General…
Ken Paxton,
The Supreme Court unsuccessfully petitioned this month to invalidate the results of the presidential elections in the states where the Democrats won. His lawsuit against Google was supported by nine other Republican attorneys general and no Democrats.
On the other hand, the Federal Trade Commission and 46 states simultaneously coordinated and initiated their recent antitrust actions against
Facebook Inc.
FB -0.43%.
It is not yet clear whether these are scattered lawsuits in favour of Google or a deepening of the legal issues. Robert Kaminski, an analyst at LLC Capital Alpha Partners, said the Texas-turned lawsuit sought monetary damages that could exceed the penalty damages awarded in other cases. Three separate appeals are a decision that should hurt three times as much, he said.
Thursday’s lawsuit was filed in September 2019, when state attorneys general appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court to declare unusually publicly that nearly all states and the District of Columbia are joining the investigation into Google’s behavior. The research was then divided into two areas, with one group of states, including Colorado, focusing on Google’s search activities and the other group, led by the University of Texas, focusing on advertising activities.
The Ministry of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Google. Here’s how the technology giant came into the federal regulators’ sights. Jason Bellini’s doing a report for the WSJ. Photo: Getty Images
The anti-Google movement comes against a backdrop of growing hostility across the political spectrum towards the technology giants, rooted in the power they have and the way they have it.
Congress is also considering amendments to antitrust laws to improve law enforcement capacity to prosecute large technology companies, although party political differences could derail these legislative efforts.
Google has controlled most of its history in the United States, as state and federal regulators have approved its acquisitions and generally refused to challenge the company on competitor complaints, although it has been the subject of antitrust proceedings in Europe.
Over the past two years, this trend has been reversed as policymakers have become more concerned about the central role of large technology companies in US business and discourse.
Google was the subject of bipartisan criticism at a congressional hearing earlier this year.
The evidence seems very clear to me. When Google became the gateway to the Internet, it began to abuse its power. It used its Web traffic monitoring to detect and override threats from competitors, said Alphabet CEO David Cicilline (D., R.I.).
Sundar Pichai
at the July hearing.
Mr Pichai stated that the company faces strong competition. We have always strived to provide the most relevant information to users, and we rely on the trust of users who return to Google every day, he said.
Particulars of the antitrust procedure with regard to technology
Email Ryan Tracy at [email protected].
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