US Department of Justice Files Second Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Google. This lawsuit follows the antitrust suit filed last October by the Department of Justice in collaboration with the attorneys general of 11 states, marking the second antitrust lawsuit against Google. The Biden administration, which has declared an all-out war against Big Tech, appears to be tightening its grip on information technology (IT) companies.

On the 1st (local time), Bloomberg News cited a key insider familiar with the matter to report this. The issue at the center of this lawsuit concerns unfair practices surrounding Google's digital advertising business.

The insider stated, "The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Google's digital advertising practices and may file a lawsuit as early as the end of the year." They added that no final decision has been made yet and the timing of the lawsuit could be delayed.

It is also known that collusion between Google and Facebook in the online advertising market is under investigation. According to a complaint filed last December by 10 states including Texas, Google and Facebook allegedly made a 'secret agreement' not to compete in the online advertising business and to cooperate mutually if subjected to antitrust investigations. Google and Facebook together account for more than 50% of the global online advertising market.

Previously, Google faced an antitrust lawsuit in October last year from the Department of Justice and 11 states regarding its search engine division. In July, Google was sued by 36 U.S. states over its application (app) market division, accused of continuing unfair practices by leveraging its dominant position in its app market, the Play Store. This new lawsuit raises issues about practices in the digital advertising market, indicating that the Department of Justice and state governments are applying comprehensive pressure on Google's key business sectors.

Meanwhile, Google's digital advertising revenue reached $23 billion (approximately 26.62 trillion KRW) last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.