London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Adversaries call for reform of Big Tech after Justice Department sues Google

Adversaries call for reform of Big Tech after Justice Department sues Google

Calls for increased regulation of Big Tech have been amplified following the Justice Department's filing of a landmark antitrust suit against Google this week.

The Internet company has long been the target of nonprofit organizations wary of the giant's moves to box out rivals and those groups as well as former Silicon Valley insiders provided investigators with firsthand accounts and documents revealing industry misconduct, according to The New York Times.

Google, a $1 trillion-dollar company owned by Alphabet Inc., is just one of the Big Tech behemoths under close scrutiny and adversaries have filed legal complaints regarding privacy violations and complained of anticompetitive business practices before.

The same parties claimed the Tuesday suit as a win. For many, it also augured the advent of tighter regulation in the more than $5 trillion industry.
In a blog post in response to the filing, Google Senior Vice President of Global Affairs Kent Walker wrote that the suit is "deeply flawed" and that it would "do nothing to help consumers."



"To the contrary, it would artificially prop up lower-quality search alternatives, raise phone prices, and make it harder for people to get the search services they want to use," Walker said.

While Google has often been accused of using its development of Android software for smartphones to gain a competitive edge, the antitrust claim risks affecting prices for the devices.

Walker said the company is confident a court would conclude the suit "doesn’t square with either the facts or the law."

It's a stance other Big Tech companies share, arguing their products are more popular because users like them.

Critics, however, allege that Big Tech has too much power and has evolved past its original purpose, though opinions vary on how to handle the situation.

While some say antitrust laws are the key, others believe tougher rules and a shorter leash will be enough.

Many groups have already funneled tens of millions of dollars into fighting Big Tech's dominance, including billionaire George Soros and the Ford Foundation.

Support for their initiatives has picked up following the 2016 presidential election when foreign actors used social media to spread disinformation.



In October, the House antitrust subcommittee released a 449-page report about the tech industry, and lawmakers found that Big Tech companies had abused their power.

Speaking Monday at The Wall Street Journal's Tech Live conference, both Rhode Island Democrat Rep. David Cicilline and Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley called for stronger antitrust enforcement and privacy protections.

“What we really want is antitrust enforcement that brings real competition back into the marketplace,” said Cicilline.

The Justice Department -- alongside 11 state attorneys general -- wrote in a statement that its suit aimed to "remedy the competitive harms."

“Millions of Americans rely on the Internet and online platforms for their daily lives. Competition in this industry is vitally important, which is why today’s challenge against Google -- the gatekeeper of the Internet -- for violating antitrust laws is a monumental case both for the Department of Justice and for the American people,” said Attorney General William Barr.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×