Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Adversaries call for reform of Big Tech after Justice Department sues Google

Adversaries call for reform of Big Tech after Justice Department sues Google

Calls for increased regulation of Big Tech have been amplified following the Justice Department's filing of a landmark antitrust suit against Google this week.

The Internet company has long been the target of nonprofit organizations wary of the giant's moves to box out rivals and those groups as well as former Silicon Valley insiders provided investigators with firsthand accounts and documents revealing industry misconduct, according to The New York Times.

Google, a $1 trillion-dollar company owned by Alphabet Inc., is just one of the Big Tech behemoths under close scrutiny and adversaries have filed legal complaints regarding privacy violations and complained of anticompetitive business practices before.

The same parties claimed the Tuesday suit as a win. For many, it also augured the advent of tighter regulation in the more than $5 trillion industry.
In a blog post in response to the filing, Google Senior Vice President of Global Affairs Kent Walker wrote that the suit is "deeply flawed" and that it would "do nothing to help consumers."



"To the contrary, it would artificially prop up lower-quality search alternatives, raise phone prices, and make it harder for people to get the search services they want to use," Walker said.

While Google has often been accused of using its development of Android software for smartphones to gain a competitive edge, the antitrust claim risks affecting prices for the devices.

Walker said the company is confident a court would conclude the suit "doesn’t square with either the facts or the law."

It's a stance other Big Tech companies share, arguing their products are more popular because users like them.

Critics, however, allege that Big Tech has too much power and has evolved past its original purpose, though opinions vary on how to handle the situation.

While some say antitrust laws are the key, others believe tougher rules and a shorter leash will be enough.

Many groups have already funneled tens of millions of dollars into fighting Big Tech's dominance, including billionaire George Soros and the Ford Foundation.

Support for their initiatives has picked up following the 2016 presidential election when foreign actors used social media to spread disinformation.



In October, the House antitrust subcommittee released a 449-page report about the tech industry, and lawmakers found that Big Tech companies had abused their power.

Speaking Monday at The Wall Street Journal's Tech Live conference, both Rhode Island Democrat Rep. David Cicilline and Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley called for stronger antitrust enforcement and privacy protections.

“What we really want is antitrust enforcement that brings real competition back into the marketplace,” said Cicilline.

The Justice Department -- alongside 11 state attorneys general -- wrote in a statement that its suit aimed to "remedy the competitive harms."

“Millions of Americans rely on the Internet and online platforms for their daily lives. Competition in this industry is vitally important, which is why today’s challenge against Google -- the gatekeeper of the Internet -- for violating antitrust laws is a monumental case both for the Department of Justice and for the American people,” said Attorney General William Barr.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×