Google faces New Antitrust Lawsuit from 35 US States

A group of 38 attorneys general filed a bipartisan lawsuit against Google, claiming that the company has engaged in illegal and anti-competitive behavior to protect its monopoly in search and search advertising.

The tech giant was also accused to making exclusive deals and agreements with other giant partners like Apple to kill competition in the market. These deals allow Google to ensure that mobile carriers and smartphone makers like Apple make its search engine the default option for its users.

According to the New York Times, Google's has the dominant market share of around 80 percent in search as a result of these deals.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser also commented that “Google’s anti-competitive actions have protected its general search monopolies and excluded rivals, depriving consumers of the benefits of competitive choices, forestalling innovation, and undermining new entry or expansion,” as reported by Techcrunch. “This lawsuit seeks to restore competition,” he adds.

Google responded to the allegation in a blog post explaining the positive impact it has had on its consumers and small businesses.

While Google denies the accusations put forward in the lawsuit, the lawsuit might continue for years, setting a cascade of other antitrust lawsuits for the tech giant. The New York times reports that four dozen states and jurisdictions, including Texas and New York, have conducted parallel investigations and eleven state attorneys general, all Republicans, signed on to support the federal lawsuit.

Similar lawsuits have also been filed against Facebook and Twitter, reflecting a deep-seated frustration about how these big tech companies have become global powerhouses that have the potential to influence commerce, politics and societal behavior.