Nearly 40 US states sue Google in third antitrust suit

WASHINGTON

Nearly 40 US states came together Thursday in what marks the third antitrust legal action against tech giant Google since October.

At issue, the lawsuit from 38 state alleges, is Google's manipulation of its search engine such that it "illegally maintains its monopoly power over general search engines." It does so through "a series of anticompetitive contracts and conduct," the states said a statement.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is leading the legal challenge, said the suit "seeks to restore competition."

"Google’s anticompetitive actions have protected its general search monopolies and excluded rivals, depriving consumers of the benefits of competitive choices, forestalling innovation, and undermining new entry or expansion," he said in a statement.

Texas and nine other states filed suit against Google on Tuesday in what was the second lawsuit brought against Google after the Department of Justice and other states sued the tech giant on Oct. 20.

The lawsuit brought Thursday seeks to go beyond the federal suit, alleging Google is "engaging in a multi-pronged effort to maintain its monopolies."

Letitia Jones, New York's attorney general, said Google's actions "ensured that hundreds of millions of people turn to Google first when looking for an answer."

"But it doesn’t take a web search to understand that unchecked corporate power shouldn’t have disproportionate control over our data and information," she said in a separate statement. "For decades now, Google has served as the gatekeeper of the internet and has weaponized our data to kill off competitors and control our decision making — resulting in all of us paying more for the services we use every day.”