Google, Facebook Will Face Launch Of Antitrust Probes By State Law Enforcement Officials
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The formal launch of long-rumored antitrust investigations into the activities of Google and Facebook are set to start next week, according to a Wall St. Journal report.
The probe will look at whether the tech giants stifle competition in their spaces, specifically focusing on digital advertising and information markets. Issues of consumer choice and privacy are also on the legal agenda.
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The bipartisan actions by state attorneys general will bolster investigations already underway in Washington on the federal level, the WSJ reported.
A press conference outside the US Supreme Court on Monday will reveal details of the Google probe. About 40 attorneys general will be present, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, leading the charge.
Paxton’s office issued a release on Friday and said the news conference will cover “a multistate investigation into whether large tech companies have engaged in anti-competitive behavior that stifled competition, restricted access, and harmed consumers.” Civil subpoenas are expected to flow from there
So far, the Facebook investigation has lined up attorneys general from Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and the District of Columbia. Facebook recently settled a Federal Trade Commission allegation that it used deceptive disclosures and account settings to gain personal information from users.
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