With the presidential election looming, the Department of Justice (DOJ) appears to be determined to strike Big Tech as soon as possible.
The DOJ could file an antitrust lawsuit against Google in the coming weeks, and may force the company to sell its dominant Chrome browser, according to a Politico story on Saturday.
“Justice Department and state prosecutors investigating Google for alleged antitrust violations are considering whether to force the company to sell its dominant Chrome browser and parts of its lucrative advertising business, three people with knowledge of the discussions said Friday,” Politico reported.
“In the advertising investigation, DOJ and state attorneys general have asked rivals and other third parties for their views on which businesses Google should have to sell,” Politico’s sources reportedly said.
The DOJ began its antitrust investigation into Google last year. In September, the DOJ briefed state attorneys general on the matter. Attorney General William Barr had originally hoped to bring the case by the end of September.
According to Politico, “Spokespeople for Google and the Justice Department declined to comment Friday.”
Last month, a representative from Google faced off with the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) grilled Google’s President of Global Partnerships and Corporate Development Don Harrison on Google’s anti-conservative bias and the company’s business practices. “If Google isn’t dominant, why does it have the power to demand of a media publisher it disagrees with that it take down the comments site and why does it expect immediate obedience?” Cruz asked Harrison at the hearing.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact Google at 1-650-253-0000 and demand that the platform provide transparency: Companies need to design open systems so that they can be held accountable, while giving weight to privacy concerns. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
