5 takeaways from the government's lawsuit against Google

5 takeaways from the government's lawsuit against Google

SeattlePI.com

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Justice Department's lawsuit against Google alleging antitrust violations marks the government’s most significant attempt to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. The lawsuit claims Google has abused its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and harm consumers.

Here are five things to know about the lawsuit and what might be coming down the line.

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WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S CASE?

Lawmakers and consumer advocates have long accused Google, whose corporate parent Alphabet Inc. has a market value just over $1 trillion, of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits. The government’s lawsuit alleges that Google uses billions of dollars collected from advertisers to pay phone manufacturers to ensure Google is the default search engine on browsers.

Eleven states, all with Republican attorneys general, joined the federal government in the suit.

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WHO STAYED OUT OF IT?

The attorneys general of New York, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah released a statement Monday saying they have not concluded their investigation into Google and would want to consolidate their case with the Justice Department’s if they decide to file.

“It’s a bipartisan statement,” said spokesman Fabien Levy of the New York State attorney general’s office. “There’s things that still need to be fleshed out, basically."

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IS GOOGLE A MONOPOLY?

Google controls about 90% of global web searches. Its Chrome browser is the most popular in the world and helps drive even more traffic to its search engine and other products, while also collecting valuable insights into what sites people visit, helping...

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