ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ANNOUNCES ANTITRUST INVESTIGATION INTO GOOGLE

Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 49 attorneys general, today announced a bipartisan investigation of Google’s business practices to determine whether the tech giant operates in violation of state and federal antitrust laws.

Raoul and the coalition will examine Google’s dominant role in the industry throughout the online advertising market from advertiser to publisher. This overarching control may have led to anticompetitive behavior that harms consumers. This joint investigation, in conjunction with federal authorities, will assess competitive conditions for online services and ensure that Americans have access to free digital markets.

“I am committed to protecting consumers’ right to internet access that is free from anticompetitive behavior,” Raoul said. “This investigation aims to safeguard consumer choice, foster innovation, ensure online privacy, and maintain the free flow of online information.”

Past investigations of Google uncovered violations ranging from advertising illegal drugs in the United States to now three antitrust actions brought by the European Commission. None of these previous investigations fully address the source of Google’s sustained market power and the ability to engage in serial and repeated business practices with the intention to protect and maintain that power.

Joining Raoul in the investigation are the attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

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