On August 5, a federal court determined that Google unlawfully leveraged its dominance in search engines to suppress competition. This ruling could pave the way for additional lawsuits as authorities aim to rein in powerful tech firms.

Numerous states have aligned with federal antitrust cases against the so-called “Magnificent 7” tech giants, which include Google, Amazon, Apple, and Meta (the parent company of Facebook).

Google, along with its parent company Alphabet, is facing accusations over its online advertising practices. The company has announced plans to contest the antitrust ruling from August 5.

Learn more: How the ruling on Google could impact your online searches.

While some lawsuits have been initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice, others have been led by the Federal Trade Commission, with states joining the legal battles.

YSL News has examined ongoing legal challenges against major tech firms to identify the states that have participated in federal lawsuits. Here’s what we discovered.

Amazon v. FTC and 17 states

◾ Who filed suit: Federal Trade Commission, 17 states.

◾ When: September 26, 2023

◾ Why: The lawsuit alleges that Amazon employs unfair and exclusionary competitive practices in online retail, which enables it to hinder competition, inflate prices for consumers, and limit sellers’ ability to innovate.

◾ Alleged violation: Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

◾ Amazon’s response: The company claims these allegations are incorrect.

◾ Where: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

◾ Pages: 172

◾ Case status: Trial date is set for October 2026.

Apple v. Justice Department, 19 states

◾ Who filed suit: Department of Justice, 19 states and the District of Columbia.

◾ When: March 21

◾ Why: The lawsuit accuses Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market, creating obstacles for customers when they want to switch devices, hampering innovation, and imposing excessive costs on developers.

◾ Alleged violation: Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

◾ Apple’s response: The company rejects these allegations and seeks to have the lawsuit dismissed.

◾ Where: U.S. District Court of New Jersey

◾ Pages: 88

◾ Case status: No trial date has been established yet.

Meta v. Justice Department, 46 states, DC, Guam

◾ Who filed suit: Federal Trade Commission, 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.

◾ When: First filed on December 9, 2020; second filing on August 19, 2021; amended filing on September 8, 2021.

◾ Why: The FTC contends that Facebook is illegally maintaining its monopoly in social networking through years of anti-competitive behavior, including acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.

◾ Meta’s response: The company rejects the claims and has requested a summary judgment to dismiss the case.

◾ Where: U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia

◾ Alleged violation: Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

◾ Pages: 81

◾ Case status: Trial date not yet determined.

Google v. Justice Department, 8 states

◾ Who filed suit: Department of Justice and eight states.

◾ When: January 24, 2023

◾ Why: This antitrust lawsuit alleges that Google has been acquiring its competitors, mandating the use of its own tools, and engaging in various practices to restrict competition in the online advertising space.

◾ Alleged violation: Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.

◾ Google’s response: The company claims that antitrust laws don’t prevent businesses from choosing not to work with competitors and stated that the regulators haven’t accurately defined the advertising technology market. Its motion to dismiss was rejected.

◾ What court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

◾ Case status: Trial is scheduled for September 2024.

Source: YSL News Network reporting and research; Reuters; Federal Trade Commission; Department of Justice