On Tuesday, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C. against Google in an antitrust case that accuses the search engine of trying to stifle competition.
“Google is the gateway to the internet and a search advertising behemoth,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen said. “But as the antitrust complaint filed today explains it has maintained its monopoly power through exclusionary practices that are harmful to competition.”
Google responded on Twitter, calling the legal challenge "deeply flawed."
Today’s lawsuit by the Department of Justice is deeply flawed. People use Google because they choose to -- not because they're forced to or because they can't find alternatives. We will have a full statement this morning.
— Google Public Policy (@googlepubpolicy) October 20, 2020
But for lawmakers like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), it's the "most important" antitrust lawsuit in a generation.
This will be the most important antitrust suit in a generation. As the first state attorney general in the country to launch an antitrust investigation of @Google, I applaud this suit as desperately needed and long overdue. #BigTech’s free pass is over https://t.co/ivniS8xHFg
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 20, 2020
It's a bipartisan take. House Antitrust Subcommittee Chair David Cicilline (D-RI) agreed that the suit is "long overdue." He explained that his panel has witnessed Google's "anticompetitive business practices" firsthand.
"The Subcommittee’s investigation uncovered extensive evidence showing that Google maintained and extended its monopoly to harm competition," he said.