The Justice Department (DOJ) is laying the foundation for a potential antitrust investigation of Google, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The DOJ’s Antitrust Division in recent weeks has been laying the groundwork for the probe, the people familiar with the matter said. The Federal Trade Commission, which shares antitrust authority with the DOJ, previously conducted a broad investigation of Google but closed it in 2013 without taking action, though Google made some voluntary changes to certain business practices.
The renewed probe may focus on Google’s search business, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The shift has come with multibillion-dollar antitrust fines for Google from the European Union. Facebook has come under intense fire over Russian use of its platform to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election. Policy makers also are increasingly skeptical of internet companies’ privacy practices, as well as their potential to create other public harm.
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