Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joins attorneys general from 47 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, to announce a multi-state investigation of tech giant Google’s business practices.
The investigation centers on Google’s over control of online advertising markets and search traffic that may have led to anti-competitive behavior that harms consumers.
Earlier this week, the Texas Attorney General’s Office issued a civil investigative demand (CID) to Google. A civil investigative demand is a request for records and information. Investigating states have submitted requests for internal Google documents and will depose Google employees and former employees.
Multiple investigations of Google have found violations of law, from advertising for illegal drugs in the United States to now three antitrust actions brought by the European Commission. But none of these investigations have fully addressed the fundamental source of Google’s sustained market power and repeated business practices designed to protect and maintain that power.
Alabama and California are the two states that chose not to join the investigation.
