JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has served Google with an investigative subpoena alleging the tech company took improper steps to have its web browser pre-installed in order to access several Android applications.
Hawley's legal move comes amid a European Commission fining Google $5.1 billion after its investigation found the company offered financial incentives to mobile device manufacturers in exchange for using Google's pre-installed search application instead of competing search applications.
“If the European Commission’s allegations are true, Google’s conduct may have violated both federal and state antitrust laws,” Hawley said in a statement. “Google’s alleged conduct does not merely undermine free and efficient markets, it undermines fundamental consumer privacy interests by excluding companies that would compete with Google by providing greater protections for users’ personal information.”
Hawley launched his Google investigation in November 2017 and is also investigating Facebook and recent data breaches at Uber and Equifax, the Attorney General's Office said.