The U.S. Justice Department has filed a second antitrust lawsuit against Google, seeking to break up the company’s online ad business.
This is the first lawsuit filed under the Biden administration. In an October 2020 lawsuit, the DOJ under the Trump administration accused Google of using its monopoly power to cut off competition in the internet search sector.
- The DOJ’s 2020 lawsuit is expected to go to trial in September.
- Google’s ad business earned $54.5B from Search, YouTube, Google Network ads, and other advertising in the quarter ended Sept. 20.
- The tech giant is scheduled to release its December quarter earnings next week.
- Several states have joined the DOJ in its latest lawsuit, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia.
- Google is also facing three other antitrust lawsuits from various state attorneys general, including one focused on the company’s ad business led by Texas AG Ken Paxton.
- Last week, Google announced it would lay off 12,000 employees.
