London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026

More than 30 states file suit demanding breakup of Google

More than 30 states file suit demanding breakup of Google

It's the second multistate antitrust suit in two days against the search giant, and the latest blow against big tech companies from prosecutors.

More than 30 states filed an antitrust suit against Google on Thursday that demands a breakup of the search giant, accusing it of abusing its control over online search to squeeze out competitors and make inroads into new markets such as home speakers.

The suit — the third major antitrust complaint against Google since late October, and the second in two days — adds to the mounting effort by multiple governments to rein in the world’s biggest tech companies.

The lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., in the same federal court where the Justice Department filed its own antitrust case in October. The twin suits pose a major threat to Google’s core business.

Thursday’s complaint — filed by 35 states plus Puerto Rico, Guam and Washington, D.C. — alleges Google has maintained its monopoly in the search market by abusing its power in other markets such as smart speakers, voice assistants, connected cars and digital advertising.

“When smartphones took off, Google made sure they controlled search," Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III said on a call with reporters Thursday. "They are doing the same thing on voice and connected cars. It’s a similar playbook.”

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said Google had engaged in "paranoid protectionism" by altering its search results to disfavor specialized search results, including websites like Yelp, Angie's List or Tripadvisor that offer reviews or information on specific topics. He also criticized Google's earlier statement, in response to the Justice Department's October lawsuit, that said people use its search engine because they like it.

“It’s not people use Google. It’s Google that uses people,” said Peterson, who like Slatery is a Republican. "Google chooses to extract volumes of personal data in the search market."

Thursday's complaint asks the court to require Google to sell off assets "as appropriate" to restore competition in three overlapping markets: online search and two areas of online search advertising.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, said it was "premature" to discuss specific breakups of Google's business but "the broad idea is to restore competition to the marketplace."

Key context: The states’ suit comes amid an intensifying push in Washington against the biggest tech companies. In the past week, state or federal antitrust prosecutors have sued 2Facebook2 for engaging in a “buy or bury” strategy toward promising rivals, and filed an antitrust complaint against Google on Wednesday over its control over the advertising technology market.

Amazon and Apple remain under federal antitrust scrutiny, and Democrats in Congress have said they plan to push forward with an antitrust overhaul next year to ensure regulators are equipped to deal with technology markets.

Google's response: In a statement Thursday, Adam Cohen, Google's director of economic policy, said the company's search engine is designed to provide users with the most relevant results. And the remedy that the plaintiffs are seeking would ruin that, the company contends.

"This lawsuit seeks to redesign Search in ways that would deprive Americans of helpful information and hurt businesses’ ability to connect directly with customers," Cohen said.

Bigger and broader: The states’ suit is more wide-ranging than DOJ’s, which more narrowly focused on how Google has used contracts with smartphone makers and browsers like Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox to maintain its dominance in online search. That lawsuit saw support from 11 states, all headed by conservative Republicans who support the Trump administration.

California later asked to join that suit, but U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has yet to approve that request. Michigan and Wisconsin, both helmed by Democrats, also asked the court Thursday to join the DOJ's suit.

The newest states’ suit is also more bipartisan. Seventeen Democrats and 14 Republican attorneys general have signed on to the suit, which is headed by a group of eight states, split evenly between Democratic and Republican-led states.

In a statement, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen — the current No. 2 official at the Justice Department — heralded the three additions and the new suit.

These developments underscore "the broad and bipartisan consensus that Google’s practices in search and search advertising need antitrust redress," said Rosen, who will become acting attorney general next week once William Barr departs. "These antitrust actions aim to open the door to the next wave of innovation in digital markets.”

A punishing week: Thursday’s suit comes on the heels of a Texas-led suit Wednesday accusing Google of abusing its power in the advertising technology market, which controls how website display ads appear and are bought and sold online. Eight other Republican-led states signed on to that suit, which alleged the company manipulated its advertising technology products to extract maximum profits for itself and unfairly exclude competitors.

Idaho and Utah are the only states that joined both the Texas complaint on Wednesday and Thursday's broader search suit against Google.

Allies in Congress: A report by the House Judiciary antitrust panel in October found Google is “ubiquitous across the digital economy,” with nine services that have more than 1 billion users worldwide.The report focused on how Google has used its leading browser Chrome, mobile operating system Android and Google Maps to reinforce its monopoly in online search.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said the multistate group had been watching both previous antitrust cases against Google in Europe and the developments in Congress as they prepared the suit, and urged policymakers to consider whether changes are needed in the law.

“People in government and Congress should be thinking about whether there should be some regulation beyond antitrust. Antitrust may not be the vehicle to remedy this situation," said Miller, a Democrat. "The question of an effective remedy here is quite elusive.”

More to come: Google is expected to get even more antitrust scrutiny in the coming months. DOJ is also investigating Google over complaints about its powers in the advertising technology market.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Signals Frustration with UK Leadership Amid Diverging Approaches to Iran Conflict
UK Government Takes Control of Hunterston B as Landmark Nuclear Decommissioning Begins
UK Public Inflation Expectations Jump Sharply in March, Raising Pressure on Bank of England
UK Ministers Warn Expanded North Sea Drilling Would Deepen Exposure to Global Energy Volatility
Delayed UK Defence Investment Plan Leaves Suppliers Under Severe Financial Strain
Can Iran Strike the UK? Assessing the Real Military Threat as Conflict Escalates
Sanctioned Iranian Banker Linked to Luxury Marbella Villa Through UK Corporate Structure
Casey Bloys Navigates HBO Max UK Launch, Paramount Integration and Industry Buzz Over Netflix Meeting
Iran Conflict Sparks Sharp Turbulence in UK Mortgage Market, Reaching Pandemic-Era Disruption Levels
Major Donor Urges University of Kentucky to Reconsider Mitch Barnhart’s Post-Retirement Role
United Kingdom Moves to Lead International Effort to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
UK Police Investigate Targeted Attack on Jewish Ambulance Vehicles
UK Police Investigate Targeted Attack on Jewish Ambulance Vehicles
Senior UK Advocate Criticises Barnhart Retirement Appointment, Calls for Reconsideration
UK Finds No Evidence of Direct Iranian Threat to Britain, Says Prime Minister Starmer
Assessing Iran’s Strike Capability and the UK’s Readiness Amid Rising Tensions
NATO Unable to Confirm Iran’s Role in Strike on UK-US Base as Tehran Denies Involvement
University of Kentucky’s Youling Xiong Receives SEC Faculty Achievement Award for 2026
Trump Highlights Satirical Portrayal of UK Leadership Amid Talks with Prime Minister Starmer on Iran Conflict
Trump Highlights Satirical Portrayal of UK Leadership Amid Talks with Prime Minister Starmer on Iran Conflict
UK Fuel Prices Surge Toward Crisis Levels as Experts Warn of Further Sharp Increases
UK Fuel Prices Surge Toward Crisis Levels as Experts Warn of Further Sharp Increases
Duchess of Sussex Secures ‘As Ever’ Trademark Rights in Australia Ahead of High-Profile Visit
UK Reaffirms Security as Officials Reject Claims of Immediate Iranian Missile Threat
Rising Middle East Tensions Spark ‘Trumpflation’ Debate Over Impact on UK Households
UK Minister Says No Evidence Iran Can Strike Europe Despite Heightened Warnings
British-Iranians Voice Safety Concerns to Authorities as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Confirmed Meningitis Cases Linked to Kent Outbreak Revised Down to Twenty
UK Government Sees No Evidence Iran Can Strike London Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Debate Grows Over Recognition of Indigenous Cultural Icons in the United Kingdom
Iran Missile Launch Toward Diego Garcia Raises Questions After Failed Strike on US–UK Base
Donald Trump Amplifies Viral Satirical Clip Highlighting UK–US Political Dynamics
UK Satirical Show Draws Attention with Sketch Referencing Trump and Prince Andrew
Meghan Markle’s Possible UK Return Sparks Renewed Attention on Sussex Role
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Starmer Convenes Urgent Talks on Cost-of-Living Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
UK Investors Eye Bargain Shares Ahead of ISA Deadline Amid Market Volatility
Northern Lights Expected Over UK Skies Tonight Amid Strong Solar Activity
UK Condemns Iran Missile Strike and Warns Against Threats to British Personnel
UK Warns of Global Flight Disruptions as Iran Conflict Escalates Under Trump’s Leadership
UK Condemns Iran After Missile Strike Targets Strategic Diego Garcia Base
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in UK Reinforces Urgency of Vaccination Campaigns
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
Iran Launches Long-Range Missile Strike on Remote US-UK Base, Signaling Expanded Reach
UK Rules Out Cyprus Base Role in Joint US Self-Defence Framework
UK Ends Hereditary Peerage Rights in Parliament in Historic Constitutional Reform
Lord Walney Warns of Expanding Iranian Influence Networks Within the United Kingdom
Iranian National Among Two Arrested After Attempt to Access UK Nuclear Submarine Base
Deregulation, Artificial Intelligence, and Fraud Laws Reshape UK Financial Services Landscape
×