Attorney General James Announces Bipartisan Antitrust Investigation Into Google Will Continue

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and the attorneys general of Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an antitrust lawsuit against tech giant Google:

“Over the last year, both the U.S. DOJ and state attorneys general have conducted separate but parallel investigations into Google’s anticompetitive market behavior. We appreciate the strong bipartisan cooperation among the states and the good working relationship with the DOJ on these serious issues. This is a historic time for both federal and state antitrust authorities, as we work to protect competition and innovation in our technology markets. We plan to conclude parts of our investigation of Google in the coming weeks. If we decide to file a complaint, we would file a motion to consolidate our case with the DOJ’s. We would then litigate the consolidated case cooperatively, much as we did in the Microsoft case.”

Last September, Attorney General James announced that she and a bipartisan coalition — that included almost every attorney general in the nation — had initiated a bipartisan investigation into Google for potentially anticompetitive conduct.

The investigation continues to focus on Google’s dominance in search and related industries, as well as the potential harm caused to consumers and the economy from any anticompetitive conduct.

Separately, last September, Attorney General James announced that she was leading a bipartisan, multistate investigation into Facebook for antitrust issues, which continues today.