Google now faces an antitrust investigation from 50 attorneys general

As expected, a large group of state attorneys general announced on Monday a joint effort to investigate Google for antitrust violations. 

The bipartisan effort is being led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is joined by 50 additional attorneys general representing 48 U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Paxton made the announcement on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, joined by others involved. 

The probe was first reported on Friday by the Wall Street Journal as a group of attorneys general led by New York’s Letitia James announced a similar bipartisan antirust probe into Facebook. 

In that report, sources told the WSJ that the Google investigation “will examine the impact of Google on digital advertising markets … as well as potential harms to consumers from their information and ad choices being concentrated in one company.”

Though it hasn’t yet face an investigation on the federal level, that could also be in the cards for Google. 

For it’s part, Google proclaimed its cooperation with Department of Justice investigators in a blog post published on Sept. 6:

We have answered many questions on these issues over many years, in the United States as well as overseas, across many aspects of our business, so this is not new for us. The DOJ has asked us to provide information about these past investigations, and we expect state attorneys general will ask similar questions. We have always worked constructively with regulators and we will continue to do so.

Unsurprisingly, Walker also took time to note the good he says Google has done: “Google is one of America’s top spenders on research and development, making investments that spur innovation.”

As for this latest investigation, other platforms are weighing in. Luther Lowe, SVP, Public Policy for Yelp!, posted a statement that blasted Google’s tendency to “steers [users] to its low quality ‘house’ products” and called the investigation “heartening,” promising that Yelp! would assist if needed. 

This could only be the beginning, too, as the investigations of Google and Facebook could eventually lead to similar probes into giants like Amazon and Apple.