The Department of Justice is suing Google for allegedly abusing its dominance of the Internet search and advertising markets.
“Google’s business practices have stifled competition by driving consumers to rival search engines,” Sherman stated in a news release. “Allowing the company to receive preferential treatment in online search results limits consumer choice and harms competition. Google’s business conduct also threatens to harm U.S. businesses operating in other markets online, and they can no longer rely on Google’s assurances that it won’t change search results.”
See below for a full statement by Sarah Clark-Lynn, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
The department’s lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle makes two core allegations against Google. First, that Google has stifled competition in its search services by directing consumers to other search services, such as those from Bing and Yahoo, and in doing so, inducing them to switch their search engines. Second, that Google has acquired its dominant position in the search engine market through illegal means.
