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BUSINESS Friday 25 September 2020
DOJ nearing antitrust action on Google; Trump eyes tech curb

By MARCY GORDON maintains that its services
AP Business Writer face ample competition
WASHINGTON (AP) — As and have unleashed inno-
the Trump administration vations that help people
moves toward antitrust ac- manage their lives. Most of
tion against search giant its services are offered for
Google, it's campaigning free in exchange for per-
to enlist support from sym- sonal information that helps
pathetic state attorneys Google sell its ads.
general across the country. A House Judiciary sub-
And President Donald committee has pursued its
Trump pushed his cam- own bipartisan sweeping
paign against Big Tech on investigation of Big Tech's
Wednesday, touting curbs market dominance. The
on legal protections for so- panel's chairman, Rep. Da-
cial media platforms he de- vid Cicilline, D-R.I., accused
nounces as biased against Google in a July hearing
conservative views. of leveraging its dominant
"In recent years, a small search engine to steal
group of technology plat- ideas and information from
forms have tightened their other websites, and ma-
grip over commerce and nipulating its results to drive
communications in Amer- people to its own digital
ica," Trump declared at a services to boost profits.
White House event with At- Antitrust regulators in Eu-
torney General William Barr This Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. rope have cracked down
and Republican attorneys Associated Press on Google in recent years
general from several states. by imposing multibillion-
"They've used this power the presidential election, said, the government will unclear. A state signing on dollar fines and ordering
to engage in unscrupulous the Justice Department provide individuals the abil- to the federal case also changes to its practices.
business practices while si- appears to be approach- ity to pursue legal claims could limit the tools, such Google, whose parent is
multaneously waging war ing legal action against against online platforms for as state consumer laws, Alphabet Inc., controls
on free enterprise and free Google and soliciting the "bad-faith censorship." that it might want to use about 90% of global web
expression." support of state attorneys Social media platforms can to pursue its own action — searches. Its dominance in
The anticipated lawsuit general on an issue of rare abuse consumers' trust "by and the political benefit lo- online search and advertis-
against Google by the bipartisan agreement, deciding which voices they cally of taking up a cause ing enables it to target mil-
Justice Department could while Trump appeals to his are going to amplify and for consumers. lions of consumers for their
be the government's big- political base by amplifying which they are going to Some Republican attor- personal data. Google
gest legal offensive to a longstanding grievance throttle, and by improperly neys general could be ex- dwarfs other search com-
protect competition since of conservatives against tracking, collecting user pected to join the federal petitors such as Microsoft's
the ground-breaking case Silicon Valley. data and even facilitating case, while another group Bing and Yelp, and has
against Microsoft almost 20 Along with the antitrust criminal activity," Barr said. of states may opt to pursue faced harsh criticism in the
years ago. drive, the Justice Depart- Separately, the Justice their own actions. past for favoring its own
Lawmakers and consumer ment has asked Congress Department's antitrust of- The Trump administration products over competitors
advocates accuse Google to roll back long-held le- ficials are expected to dis- has long had Google in at the top of search results.
of abusing its dominance in gal protections for online cuss their planned action its sights. A top economic Google also owns the
online search and adver- platforms like Facebook, on Google in Washington adviser to the president leading web browser in
tising to stifle competition Google and Twitter, putting meetings and a confer- said two years ago that Chrome, the world's largest
and boost its profits. down a legislative marker ence call with the state the White House was con- mobile operating system in
For over a year, the Jus- in Trump's drive against the attorneys general on Thurs- sidering whether Google Android, the top video site
tice Department and the social media giants. The day. searches should be subject in YouTube and the most
Federal Trade Commission proposed changes would "Big Tech has a powerful to government regulation. popular digital mapping
have pursued sweeping strip some of the bedrock influence on commerce Trump himself has often system.q
antitrust investigations of protections that have gen- and our daily lives, war- criticized Google, recycling
big tech companies, look- erally shielded the compa- ranting significant scrutiny," unfounded claims by con-
ing at whether Google, nies from legal responsibility Washington state attorney servatives that the search
Facebook, Amazon and for what people post on general Bob Ferguson said giant is biased against con-
Apple have hurt competi- their platforms. in a statement on Tuesday. servatives and suppresses
tion, stifled innovation or Trump signed an executive "Any effort to abuse that their viewpoints, interferes
otherwise harmed consum- order earlier this year chal- influence for competitive with U.S. elections and
ers. And a bipartisan coali- lenging the protections gain calls for vigorous en- prefers working with the
tion of 50 U.S. states and from lawsuits under a 1996 forcement of the antitrust Chinese military over the
territories, led by Texas At- telecommunications law laws." Pentagon. The company,
torney General Ken Paxton, that have served as the Support from the states based in Mountain View,
announced a year ago on foundation for unfettered would bolster the Justice California, has denied the
the steps of the Supreme speech on the internet. Department's case against claims and insists that it
Court that they were inves- The White House said Google. It's a tricky political never ranks search results to
tigating Google's business Wednesday the legislative calculus for states, how- manipulate political views.
practices. They cited "po- proposal would protect the ever. If a Biden administra- Google has argued that
tential monopolistic behav- open internet and prevent tion takes over next year, although its businesses are
ior." hidden manipulation by so- the status of the lawsuit large, they are useful and
Now with some 40 days to cial media. In addition, Barr against Google would be beneficial to consumers. It