50 US states launch Google antitrust investigation News
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50 US states launch Google antitrust investigation

Fifty US states and territories announced an antitrust investigation of Google and its parent company Alphabet Monday.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Texas will be leading the bipartisan investigation, which will focus on Google’s monopoly of online advertising markets. Paxton stated that “we have seen evidence that Google’s business practices may have undermined consumer choice, stifled innovation, [and] violated users’ privacy.”

The announcement comes just days after New York announced that it is leading a similar investigation into Facebook. The inquiry will investigate “Facebook’s dominance in the industry and the potential anti-competitive conduct stemming from that dominance.” New York Attorney General Letitia James is specifically focusing on whether Facebook’s actions have endangered consumer data, which in turn can reduce the quality of consumer choices.