The Justice Department plans to file anti-trust charges against Google in the coming weeks, according to the New York Times.
The charges will largely relate to how the company has used its search engine to dominate the online advertising business, Attorney General Bill Barr said.
They will be the conclusion of a nearly year-long investigation into the anti-competitive conduct in Google’s online advertising business, conducted by 40 DOJ lawyers.
The DOJ launched the investigation last year to review to review “whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers.”
The lawyers who worked on the case reportedly told Barr they wanted more time to build their case against Google, which could be one of the biggest antitrust cases in U.S. history, but Barr overruled them and moved forward with his September deadline, according to the Times.
The Trump administration could use this case to prove to voters that President Trump takes seriously his promise to hold Big Tech accountable.
Google is easily the most formidable technology corporation out there, and these charges could pose a significant threat to its business model.
Critics of Google want the company to change its business activities, and some even have called for an entire breakup of the company.
The DOJ’s case against Google could enjoy broad bipartisan support. Last year, a coalition of the top legal officers from 50 states and territories announced that it would investigate Google’s monopolistic practices.
“We are acting as one team to launch a fair investigation that will follow the facts, said D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, who is a Democrat.
Only California, where Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters are located, and Alabama, did not join the nationwide investigation.
