Following complaints from President Trump, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee is asking the Federal Trade Commission to reopen an investigation into possible anticompetitive practices by Google.
“Google does have a long track record of providing valuable services and making important, innovative contributions,” Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who is retiring at the end of this year, wrote in a letter to Chairman Joseph Simons on Thursday. “But much has changed since the FTC last looked at Google’s conduct regarding search and digital advertising.”
In 2013, the commission closed a probe into allegations that Google manipulated its search engine against certain websites without pursuing any charges. In his letter, Hatch pointed to a 2015 report detailing recommendations from agency staff at the time that the FTC pursue an antitrust case against Google because of the practice.
The 84-year old senator said that the rise of Google’s mobile platform, coupled with reports indicating that changes the Mountain View, Calif.-based company implemented since 2013 may have harmed consumers, warrant another investigation.
“In light of all these changes, I respectfully request the FTC consider the competitive effects of Google’s conduct in search and digital advertising,” Hatch wrote.
Google did not immediately respond to request for comment.
[More: Trump threatens action against Google for ‘rigged’ search results]
#StopTheBias pic.twitter.com/xqz599iQZw
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
Technology companies are facing increasing pressure from Congress and the administration.
Trump accused Google on Wednesday of promoting former President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech over his and said a day earlier that the Silicon Valley company’s search engine was downplaying conservative news in its search results.
While Trump previously threatened action against the company and other firms like Facebook and Twitter over such claims, he later indicated the administration wouldn’t pursue new regulations.
The House and Senate, meanwhile, will both hold hearings in September with top technology industry executives including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Sheryl Sanderg, Facebook’s chief operating officer.
The Senate Intelligence Committee previously rejected Google’s offer to send its senior vice president of global affairs in place of Larry Page, chief executive officer of parent company Alphabet. A panel spokesperson on Wednesday said the company hadn’t yet confirmed a senior leadership official to testify.
