U.S. Government Sues Google for Abuse of Monopoly Power Following DOJ Investigation

Today the Trump Administration sued Google in what is the largest antitrust case against a tech company in more than 20 years. The U.S. Justice Department alleges in its complaint that Google has stifled its competition in the online search market. Eleven states are also part of the lawsuit. The landmark federal complaint follows a year-long anti-trust probe by DOJ investigators. It comes on the heels of a major congressional report which says that Google and other tech giants like Facebook and Amazon enjoy “monopoly power” and have wielded their dominance in anti-competitive ways. After the lawsuit was filed, Google called the legal action flawed, saying people choose to use Google. The looming case could pose an unprecedented risk to Google’s wider advertising business, which brought in $134.8 billion in revenue last year, accounting for 84% of Google’s total business. Hanging over the case too, will be President Trump, who has been vocal in his criticism of tech platforms.