• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGoogle

State Attorneys General Open Antitrust Investigation Into Google

By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 9, 2019, 5:28 PM ET

Fifty U.S. states and territories on Monday opened a probe of Google over its advertising and search dominance. 

The inquiry will look into whether Google has illegally raised online advertising costs and whether its search results are skewed in a way that harms competition.

“While many consumers believe that the internet is free, certainly we know from Google’s profits of $117 billion that the internet is not free,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading the investigation. “And this is a company that dominates all aspects of advertising on the internet and searching on the internet.”

Google and its fellow tech giants have faced increased governmental scrutiny in recent months, including at the federal level. Last week, Google said that the U.S. Justice Department had requested information about its past investigations of the company. Meanwhile, Google also agreed to pay $170 million to settle allegations by the Federal Trade Commission that its YouTube unit had violated children’s privacy.

The latest antitrust investigation by states attorney generals is a rare example of Democrats and Republicans working together. The only holdouts in the investigation are Alabama and California, which is Google’s home state. Both are free to join later.

Google did not immediately respond to a request by Fortune for comment.

Shares in Google’s parent company, Alphabet, were nearly unchanged on Monday at $1,204.41.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Android 10’s 7 most anticipated new features
—This new app puts deepfake technology in the hands of a mainstream audience
—Google hit with a record fine by the FTC for violating children’s privacy on YouTube
—A U.K court may have made police use of facial recognition easier
—Porsche unveils its first-ever electric car
Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.

About the Author
By Lisa Marie Segarra
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Apple AirPods Pro in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 9, 2025. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Apple AirPods with cameras are coming
By Andrew NuscaMay 8, 2026
29 minutes ago
Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff
SuccessJobs
Match Group’s CEO revived a shuttered Tinder internship program for Gen Z—and received over 30,000 applications for just 27 spots
By Emma BurleighMay 8, 2026
41 minutes ago
Wall Street piles into ‘NACHO’ bet on looming oil shortages in June
EconomyMarkets
Wall Street piles into ‘NACHO’ bet on looming oil shortages in June
By Jim EdwardsMay 8, 2026
42 minutes ago
Why CEO Bill McDermott says ServiceNow’s 39% stock crash is Saaspocalypse ‘nonsense’ and why AI will make it a trillion-dollar company
AIServiceNow
Why CEO Bill McDermott says ServiceNow’s 39% stock crash is Saaspocalypse ‘nonsense’ and why AI will make it a trillion-dollar company
By Alexei OreskovicMay 8, 2026
4 hours ago
amit
AISoftware
$96 billion giant ServiceNow doesn’t see a ‘SaaSpocalypse.’ It sees the ‘hard lift, heavy lifting’ phase just beginning
By Nick LichtenbergMay 7, 2026
10 hours ago
Indosat CEO Vikram Sinha is building an AI for Indonesia’s local languages. Can he make a business case for sovereignty? 
AsiaAsia Agenda
Indosat CEO Vikram Sinha is building an AI for Indonesia’s local languages. Can he make a business case for sovereignty? 
By Nicholas GordonMay 7, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
Economy
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
By Eleanor PringleMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
North America
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
By Sasha RogelbergMay 7, 2026
15 hours ago
Tokyo is throwing out its strict office dress code and asking workers to wear shorts amid the war in Iran energy crisis
Success
Tokyo is throwing out its strict office dress code and asking workers to wear shorts amid the war in Iran energy crisis
By Emma BurleighMay 5, 2026
3 days ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
2 days ago
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
Arts & Entertainment
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 7, 2026
16 hours ago
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 7, 2026
22 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.