DOJ Preparing Anti-Trust Probe Of Google Examining ‘Search And Other Businesses,’ Reports Say

By Ryan Saavedra @realsaavedra

The U.S. Justice Department is preparing an anti-trust investigation of Google and is expected to examine the tech giant’s “search and other businesses.”

The Federal Trade Commission, which investigated Google several years ago, is deferring the investigation to the DOJ this time, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“With turf now settled, the department is preparing to closely examine Google’s business practices related to its search and other businesses, the people said,” according to The Journal. “It couldn’t immediately be learned whether Google has been contacted by the department. Third-party critics of the search giant, however, already have been in talks with Justice Department officials, some of the people familiar with the matter said.”

“The report comes amid discussion from politicians and the public about whether large technology companies should be broken up,” CNBC reported. “The Justice Department launched a major antitrust case against Microsoft in 1998 that led to several rules the company had to follow for years.”

“Alphabet, which racked up $136.8 billion in revenue in 2018, has faced antitrust pressure in the past,” CNBC added. “In 2010, the company faced antitrust complaints from the European Commission regarding ranking of shopping search results and ads, which resulted in Google paying $2.7 billion in 2017. In 2016, the EC complained of certain Android practices to which the company recognized a charge of $5.1 billion in the second quarter of 2018.”

The Verge noted that Google has dominated “positions in the markets for search engines, web browsers, mobile operating systems, email, and numerous other product categories, all of which aid in its ability to collect data and serve targeted ads.”