UPDATED 22:09 EDT / JANUARY 26 2020

POLICY

DOJ and state attorneys general could join forces in Google antitrust probe

Google LLC is bracing itself for more headaches with the news that U.S. state attorneys general are planning to meet attorneys from the Justice Department this week to share information on their ongoing antitrust investigations into the company.

The investigations center on Google’s alleged monopolistic behavior, which officials say could harm consumers because of the company’s domination of online advertising and internet search.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the meeting today, said it would be the start of “periodic dialogue” between the two groups, and that they could eventually decide to combine their probes.

The talks are expected to focus on Google’s dominance of online search, possible anticompetitive behavior regarding its Android mobile operating system, and the best division of labor as the probes move forward, the Journal said, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

To date, federal and state officials have yet to share any data regarding their investigations into Google, the Journal added.

Attorneys general from 48 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico launched a formal antitrust investigation into Google last year, headed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. At least seven of those attorneys general are expected to attend this week’s meeting.

The Journal added that state antitrust officials often join forces with their federal counterparts in such investigations. A prime example is the case of Microsoft Corp. in the 1990s, when a group of 21 attorneys general worked together to prosecute that company for its monopolistic behavior.

That said, there’s no guarantee that the state AGs and DOJ officials will agree to work together in Google’s case. The Journal noted they could disagree about the extent to which they intend to pursue Google, or even whether they’ll pursue the company at all.

The interesting thing is that a unified probe may actually end up benefiting Google, as it would only need to deal with a single case against it instead of two or more, said Holger Mueller, an analyst with Constellation Research Inc.

“At the end what matters is the outcome of the probe,” Mueller said. “Until then this is just news about something that may never become substantial, so let’s wait and see.”

Google isn’t alone in coming under increased government scrutiny over its dominance of key technology segments. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission announced it was investigating Facebook Inc. over alleged antitrust violations, including whether it acquired potential rivals such as Instagram and WhatsApp to remove any competition. Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee last year launched a wider investigation into Google, Facebook, Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. over alleged anticompetitive practices.

Photo: Spiros Vathis/Flickr

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