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The parent company of Google, Alphabet, is likely to be hit with an antitrust suit before the end of September. A report by the New York Times Thursday confirmed that people within the Justice Department have confirmed the suit’s existence.
Rumors that such an antitrust case was coming have been swirling since May of 2020. The case has been a personal project of Attorney General William Barr.
The reasoning behind the suit is somewhat clear. Google comprises around ninety percent of all web searches. When you search something as simple as essentia mattress vs tempurpedic you send critical advertising info to Google. The company uses that info to craft a unique user profile for you.
This, in turn, allows advertisers to target you with specific ads. If you’ve ever felt like online ads were reading your mind, it’s likely Google’s fault.
Reports hold the Justice Department is likely to unveil their case against Alphabet by the end of the month. Internal reports show that the case has been working actively throughout the summer.
Over 40 lawyers have been involved in the case, according to internal Justice Department reports. Through the summer, some lawyers burned out on the case due to the blistering pace and massive scope.
The New York Times report held that lawyers were feeling drained due to the speed with which the case was being compiled. Barr, likely wanting to strike quickly, wanted the case filed before the end of September.
Some have speculated this could be due to the looming November election. Should Joe Biden win the presidency, it’s unlikely the Alphabet suit would complete before Biden appoints a new cabinet. This could mean Barr doesn’t get to see the results of his pet project before the end of his tenure as AG.
Calling William Barr “controversial” might be an understatement. The Attorney General has drawn the ire of critics on the left since he assumed control of the Justice Department. Some have accused him of acting as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. Others allege that Barr has committed numerous ethics violations in his time as AG.
However, his role at the helm of an antitrust suit complicates things for some critics. Many on the left tend to favor government oversight into massive companies. Meanwhile, conservatives are typically hesitant to support government regulation on big businesses. This has made Barr even more controversial in the eyes of many.
