Google Slapped With Antitrust Lawsuit Filed By Coalition Of 38 States

A coalition of 38 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing the search giant of engaging in anti-competitive practices, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Thursday (Dec. 17).

The federal lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C. by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, and represents the third government antitrust suit that Alphabet-owned Google is facing. On Wednesday (Dec. 16), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an antitrust federal lawsuit in Texas. The lawsuits might end up being combined into one case.

“This internet Goliath used its power to manipulate the market, destroy competition and harm YOU, the consumer,” Paxton's office said in a tweet on Wednesday (Dec. 16).

In addition to Texas, states involved in the Paxton suit include other Republican attorneys general from Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah.

“Over the last year, both the U.S. DOJ and state attorneys general have conducted separate but parallel investigations into Google’s anticompetitive market behavior,” Weiser said in a press release. “This is a historic time for both federal and state antitrust authorities, as we work to protect competition and innovation in our technology markets.”

Other states involved in the lawsuit include Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

A spokesperson for the Silicon Valley company told ABC that Paxton's claims are "meritless," adding that "we will strongly defend ourselves from (Paxton's) baseless claims in court.”

Google’s advertising revenues have totaled nearly $101 billion — 86 percent of its total revenue — in the first nine months of 2020. The search behemoth has been under fire for antitrust concerns for several months, both in the U.S. and across the pond.