City
Epaper

US expands Google probe into Search, Android

By IANS | Updated: November 15, 2019 11:10 IST

In fresh trouble for Google, 50 US Attorneys General probing its anti-trust market practices have decided to expand the investigation into the tech giant's Android and Search businesses.

Open in App

CNBC reported on Thursday that the investigation has widened and Attorneys General will begin to examine whether the company has acted anti-competitively with its Search and Android software products.

"At this point, the multistate investigation is focused solely on online advertising; however, as always, the facts we discover as the investigation progresses will determine where the investigation ultimately leads," a spokesman for the Texas Attorney General was quoted as saying.

In September, 50 state Attorneys General, led by Texas, launched an investigation into Google's "potential monopolistic behaviour".

"This is a company that dominates all aspects of advertising on the internet, as they dominate the buyer, seller and auction side," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was quoted as saying.

"If advertising costs are higher, advertisers pay more, and ultimately that's passed on to consumers," he added.

Google's senior vice president of global affairs, Kent Walker, wrote in a blog post: "We have answered many questions on these issues over many years, in the United States as well as overseas, across many aspects of our business, so this is not new for us. We have always worked constructively with regulators and we will continue to do so."

Google is also under an anti-trust probe over a new Internet Protocol that could give the tech giant an unfair competitive advantage.

The US House Judiciary Committee is investigating Google's plans to implement DNS-over-HTTPS in Chrome, a new standard that aims to improve internet privacy and security by encryption, media reports said.

The House has sent a letter to Google, asking if it would use data handled via new Internet protocol for commercial purposes.

The European Union's anti-trust regulators in March fined Google 1.49 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for abusing its dominance in the online search market by blocking rivals.

"Google has abused its market dominance by imposing a number of restrictive clauses in contracts with third-party websites which prevented Google's rivals from placing their search adverts on these websites," the European Commission (EC) said in a statement.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: googleTexasKen PaxtonAttorneys Generalhouse
Open in App

Related Stories

Technology'Learning About Photosynthesis': Google Explains How Plants Use Light to Produce Oxygen With Animated Doodle

TechnologyFree WiFi Danger! Google Warns Users Against Connecting to Public Networks

TechnologyWhat Is Quadratic Equation? Google Doodle Celebrates One of Most Searched Mathematical Equations

InternationalNorthern Lights Seen in Florida, New Mexico, Texas; Geomagnetic Storm Warning Issued for 11 US States

InternationalTexas Plane Crash CCTV Video: Two Killed After Aircraft Crashes Into Trucks in Fort Worth

टेकमेनिया Realted Stories

Technologye-Jagriti empowers consumers: 2.75 lakh users registered, 1.3 lakh complaints filed since January launch

TechnologyCorporate bond issuances rise 8 pc to Rs 6.3 lakh crore till October this fiscal: SBI report

TechnologyV-P Radhakrishnan highlights CAG's global standing as external auditor for WHO & ILO

TechnologyIndia’s AI shift from pilots to performance as 47 pc enterprises have multiple AI use cases: Report

TechnologyIndia's space programme soars with new milestones, eyes human spaceflight in 2025: Report