Justice Department, State Attorneys General Likely to Bring Antitrust Lawsuits Against Google

phalse phace shares a report from The Wall Street Journal: Both the Justice Department and a group of state attorneys general are likely to file antitrust lawsuits against Alphabet's Google (Warning: source paywalled; alternative source) -- and are well into planning for litigation. The Justice Department is moving toward bringing a case as soon as this summer, some of the people said. At least some state attorneys general -- led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican -- are likely to file a case, probably in the fall.

Much of the states' investigation has focused on Google's online advertising business. The Justice Department likewise is making Google's ad technology one of its points of emphasis. But it is also focusing more broadly on concerns that Google uses its dominant search business to stifle competition, people familiar with the matter said. The lawsuits -- if they are filed -- could pose a direct threat to Google's businesses and rank among the most significant antitrust cases in U.S. history, alongside the government's antitrust case against Microsoft in the late 1990s. The search giant's critics have called for a range of sanctions against Google, from changes to its business practices to a breakup of the company.

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