Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined the 49 other attorneys general from around the country in filing an antitrust investigation into tech giant Google.
Nessel and her colleagues allege that the company has in “anticompetitive behavior” and has too much access to personal data and undermines consumer choice and stifles innovation.
“Google plays a critical role in our online economy as the biggest and most powerful advertising and search engine company in the country,” Nessel said in a statement. “It is illegal for a business to use its market power to engage in anticompetitive conduct specifically to protect its status as a virtual monopoly.”
Regulators in Europe earlier this year hit the company with a $1.7 billion fine due to its dominance in online advertising, CNN reported at the time.
In a blog post last week, Google Senior Vice President for Global Affairs Kent Walker said the company has a history of working with regulators around the world and will continue to do so.
“Google’s services help people, create more choice, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the United States,” Walker wrote. “Google is one of America’s top spenders on research and development, making investments that spur innovation.”
News of the pending investigation by attorneys general was first reported last week by the Washington Post.
