Washington, D.C. — Today, a bipartisan group of 38 state and territory attorneys general filed suit alleging that Google engaged in anti-competitive behavior and illegally maintained a monopoly in general search and search advertising. Following the announcement of the suit, Marc Jarsulic, chief economist at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The lawsuits brought by nearly every state attorney general acknowledge what many have long observed—that Google has exercised its dominance in search and online advertising in ways that are prohibited by antitrust law. They claim that Google has used its significant market power in online advertising to dominate the invisible but highly lucrative markets where online ads are priced and delivered to websites across the internet, raising its profits and stifling its competition. These allegations are serious, and enforcement action is long overdue.
Adam Conner, vice president for Technology Policy at CAP, added:
Today’s lawsuit against Google from numerous state attorneys general shows there is a national bipartisan concern over the power that a few companies now exercise over nearly all our interactions online. For the third time in fewer than two months, either the federal or state governments have taken action to ensure that competition, innovation, and privacy are protected and not just exploited for the financial gain of a few tech giants, underscoring the gravity of the problem of anti-competitive behavior in the tech industry.
For more information on this topic or to speak to an expert, contact Julia Cusick at [email protected].