Google sued for anti competitive behaviour by 30 US states

In a third case against Google in recent months, 30 US states led by Colorado have filed a lawsuit claiming that Google used its monopoly power to downplay websites that let users search for information in specialized areas like home repair services and travel reviews. According to New York Times, Google is also accused of ‘using exclusive deals with phone makers like Apple to prefer Google’s search service over rivals like Firefox and DuckDuckGo.’ In addition, the lawsuit alleges that Google made an effort to use exclusionary agreements to also dominate newer technologies like smart speakers, televisions and cars.

The prosecutors asked the court to combine this lawsuit with one filed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in October, which includes similar accusations. This would expand the scope of the federal DOJ case to include a much wider array of accusations about Google’s search business.