California sues Google, joining U.S. antitrust lawsuit
On Friday, California requested to participate in the antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice against Google. It was the initial time that a Democrat, in this case, the state’s attorney general, backed the litigation openly.
In October, the department alleged that the $1 trillion firm based in California unlawfully used its power in the market to intimidate competitors; 11 more states joined the lawsuit.
‘California does not intend to make major alterations to the complaint.’ While filing, Xavier Becerra, the Attorney General, said that ‘California does not particularly intend to include more information or allegations.’ He added that it would not put the case on hold.
Google refuses to admit liability, and according to the firm, its search engine and different offerings are successful because they are popular with clients.
‘Individuals use Google as a preference, not as a result of coercion or due to lack of options,’ stated a spokeswoman from Google. ‘We will persist in making our arguments in court.’
‘By December, the firm should provide and answer to California’s appeal to join the lawsuit,’ remarked Amit Mehta, the U.S. District judge.
The Justice Department embraced California’s participation in the case, stating that Google breached antitrust regulation to create and sustain search advertising and search dominance.
’This momentous antitrust case portrays significant and bipartisan worries that Google has continued to monopolize control by eliminating its rivals,’ said Brianna Herlihy, a spokesperson.
Reuters issued a report in November saying that a different bipartisan group of states intend to file a similar lawsuit. The group, consisting of Iowa, Colorado, New York, Nebraska, Utah, Tennessee, and North Carolina, intends to integrate its case with the federal state’s case.
President-elect Joe Biden has selected California’s Becerra as his secretary of health and human services nominee. He is a leading member of the health team that heads the coronavirus pandemic response.
