Bulletins

Justice Department to sue Google

The Department of Justice is set to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google on Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. The case will be the most aggressive action by the U.S. government against a tech company in decades.

The DOJ will accuse Google of abusing its dominant position in search and search-advertising to elbow out rivals and disadvantage competitors. The government will allege that Google is violating antitrust law by paying billions of dollars to mobile-phone manufacturers to keep Google as their default search engine, according to the Journal.

The case will also reportedly claim that Google disadvantages competitors by preloading Google search to Android phones.

The case could potentially mean serious structural changes for Google, including a breakup. But it's likely to drag on for years – well past the Nov. 3 election.

Emily Birnbaum

Emily Birnbaum ( @birnbaum_e) is a former tech policy reporter with Protocol. Her coverage focuses on the U.S. government's attempts to regulate one of the most powerful industries in the world, with a focus on antitrust, privacy and politics. Previously, she worked as a tech policy reporter with The Hill after spending several months as a breaking news reporter. She is a Bethesda, Maryland native and proud Kenyon College alumna.

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