The Justice Department is preparing an investigation into Google’s business practices, including those related to its search function, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The Federal Trade Commission previously conducted a separate antitrust investigation into the tech giant’s search and advertising practices but closed the investigation in 2013 without bringing charges. Google voluntarily made changes to some of its business practices in response to the investigation.
An investigation would increase bipartisan scrutiny of Google and other tech giants at a time when Silicon Valley is already under pressure from Washington over its privacy practices.
President Trump has previously accused Google of burying conservative news outlets supportive of his administration.
“They are controlling what we can & cannot see. This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!” Trump tweeted in August.
….results on “Trump News” are from National Left-Wing Media, very dangerous. Google & others are suppressing voices of Conservatives and hiding information and news that is good. They are controlling what we can & cannot see. This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2018
Google said in response that its search function was “not used to set a political agenda and we don’t bias our results toward any political ideology.”
