US Supreme Court Declines to Hear States’ Appeal in Google Antitrust Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review an appeal from 17 states involved in an antitrust lawsuit against Google. This choice leaves intact a previous ruling that compels South Carolina’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT) to release records that Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is seeking to aid its defense.

The states participating in the suit argue that Google has engaged in monopolistic practices within the digital advertising market. According to Reuters, the dispute stems from a subpoena issued by Google to obtain records from SCPRT detailing how the agency rated and utilized Google’s advertising services. South Carolina is one of the plaintiffs in the broader antitrust case, but SCPRT had resisted Google’s request, contending that it was not an “arm of the state” and therefore should not be compelled to release the documents in question.

Google previously secured a victory on this issue in June when the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, upheld a lower court ruling that rejected SCPRT’s immunity claim. According to court documents, SCPRT had argued that the case highlighted a crucial question regarding the autonomy of state agencies when they are not directly involved in a lawsuit initiated by the state’s attorney general. However, the Supreme Court declined to review this aspect, leaving the 4th Circuit’s decision in place without further comment.

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Representatives from both Google and SCPRT have yet to issue statements regarding the Supreme Court’s decision, Reuters reported. Google has denied the antitrust allegations at the heart of the case, emphasizing that its information requests have been met by many other state agencies involved in the lawsuit.

The case, formally titled South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism v. Google, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 24-377, remains a focal point in ongoing discussions around tech industry regulations and the reach of state agency compliance in antitrust investigations.