Sen. Amy Klobuchar, in talks for a possible attorney general position in the President-elect Joe Biden administration, has voiced support for the U.S. Department of Justice‘s move to leave open options for structural remedies in a lawsuit against Google that may mean breaking up the company, CNBC reported.
“In a serious monopolization action like this one, it’s important that a breakup remedy be on the table,” she said during a virtual American Bar Association event, according to CNBC.
Klobuchar said the Google case is an “important start,” but it could be stronger if more state attorneys general join. That case will fall to Biden once he takes office in January, CNBC reported.
The lawsuit against Google is based on the tech giant’s 80 percent market share in its field, which the U.S. alleges is the result of Google employing anti-competitive practices. Attorney General William Barr said the case is “monumental” and the U.S. needs to have competition to remain a vital economy. Google, in return, said the case is “deeply flawed” and that no one is forced to use its services.
Meanwhile, on the international stage, a group of 165 companies and associations in the U.S. and U.K. sent a letter to antitrust regulators asking that they take action against Google, PYMNTS reported. The group said Google had been favoring its own products and using preferential search placement to dominate the market.
Even if Klobuchar isn’t the eventual attorney general, she’s likely to remain a force against big tech, CNBC reported. She’s the top Democrat on the Senate antitrust committee, has reprimanded tech giants before and introduced legislation to help reinvigorate antitrust enforcement. Her power could be bolstered if the Democrats end up winning two runoff Senate races in Georgia, which could give the Democratic Party as a whole more leverage in Congress.
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