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Report: US DOJ Prepping Anti-Trust Lawsuit Against Google

JUN 13 2022·Updated AUG 10 2022

Story

Image credit: Getty Images [via NY Post]

The Facts

The US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s Google in the coming weeks over its dominance in the online advertising market.
Bloomberg.com
The DOJ has allegedly been investigating Google's ad-tech practices since 2019 and has recently expedited the inquiry, with sources familiar with the matter saying the newest suit could come as soon as next month.
CNET
This would mark the DOJ's second case against Google following a lawsuit filed in 2020 for "unlawfully maintaining monopolies in the markets for general search services, search advertising, and general search text advertising in the US."
Finance
In July, Google reportedly offered to split parts of its business that deals with ads into a separate company under the Alphabet umbrella, though officials have indicated the DOJ is seeking deep structural changes to the ad-tech business.
The Wall Street Journal
Doha Mekki, the DOJ official expected to head the case, said in April that the agency will be uncompromising in future antitrust cases and that they "are not planning to take settlements."
New York Post
Google is also facing anti-trust investigations from the EU and UK, as well as a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas and a proposed law by US Senators to divest parts of the ad-tech business.
The Wall Street Journal

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Google is using its market power to crush competition and impede innovation. For far too long Big Tech companies have had vast amounts of unchecked power and influence. Even if this lawsuit is unsuccessful, it's still a step in the right direction toward challenging the power of Big Tech.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Establishment-critical narrative

Although Google dominates web search-based ads, it doesn't have a monopoly on the digital ad market; it actually faces stiff competition from other tech firms. To meaningfully increase competition as the DOJ seemingly seeks to do, Google would have to be broken into fragments, which would hinder technology and inconvenience users.

The Washington Post