US: Josh Hawley urges FTC to release full 2012 Google antitrust report

Sen. Josh Hawley (Republican – Missouri) sent a letter on Tuesday, September 24, to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging its five commissioners to release the agency’s 2012 report which detailed Google’s anticompetitive policies.

Sen. Hawley sent a letter to the agency’s five commissioners to release the full 2012 report detailing Google’s anticompetitive behavior. Half of the 2012 report released was disclosed in 2015 and detailed that the search engine giant manipulated its search results to bias its own services over Google’s competitors.

“I believe the remaining pages likely contain information critical to the public interest because they may reveal that Google has long been deceiving consumers,” Hawley wrote in his letter to the commissioners.

Sen. Hawley’s letter to the FTC arises as 50 attorneys general have announced an antitrust investigation into Google’s manipulation of the online search and digital advertising markets.

The Missouri senator noted that two years ago, the European Union (EU) fined Google US$2.7 billion for manipulating its search results. Hawley contended that Google was “in fact rigging specific search results to favor the interests of Google’s executives.”

Sen. Hawley noted that the 2012 FTC report noted that, citing internet Google documents, that they manipulated their search engine “to bias ourselves.”

He added “Google was misleading consumers about how its algorithm worked” and that “Google systematically deceived consumers,” which provides “real harm to consumers and to innovation in the online search and advertising markets.”

Full Content: Senate

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.