Fifty U.S. states and territories, led by Texas, announced an investigation into Google’s “potential monopolistic behavior.”
The Monday announcement closely followed one from a separate group of states Friday that disclosed an investigation into Facebook’s market dominance. The two probes widen the antitrust scrutiny of big tech companies beyond sweeping federal and congressional investigations and enforcement action by European regulators.
Nebraska attorney general Doug Peterson, a Republican, said at a press conference held in Washington that 50 attorneys general joining together sends a “strong message to Google.”
It shouldn’t have taken this long.
The EU has for years been shouldering responsibility for investigating Google’s abusive business practices and its war on privacy while U.S. authorities have looked the other way. The Monster of Mountain View essentially got a free pass from the Obama administration.
But those days are now over.
Bring on the investigation, the regulatory scrutiny, and the antitrust enforcement.
Long overdue!