At Least 37 US States Sue Google Over Alleged Antitrust Violations, Court Documents Show

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Thirty-seven US state and district attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Google alleging violations of antitrust laws, court documents revealed.

[The state and district attorneys general] bring this civil enforcement action against Defendants Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, Google Commerce Limited, Google Asia Pacific Pte. Limited, Google Payment Corp., and Alphabet Inc. under federal and state antitrust and consumer protection statutes, to enjoin Google from unlawfully restraining trade and maintaining monopolies in the markets for Android software application distribution and for payment processing of digital content purchased within Android apps in the United States, and to obtain redress for consumers," the lawsuit said on Wednesday.

“Google’s durable monopoly power in the markets for Android app distribution and in-app purchases is not based on competition on the merits,” it added. “These monopolies are maintained through artificial technological and contractual conditions that Google imposes on the Android ecosystem.”

The state and district attorneys in the lawsuit represent the states of Utah, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.

In October, the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for alleged abuse of online search dominance. It was the most forceful action in more than two decades by the US government to ostensibly protect competition in the online search space since the groundbreaking case that began in the late 1990s against Microsoft. It could also be a precursor to similar antitrust actions against other big tech names.

The action against Google is the most forceful by the US government to ostensibly protect competition in the online search space since the groundbreaking case that began in the late 1990s against Microsoft. While the case was filed during the time of the Trump administration, Biden’s leadership appears in support of that action.