LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued a statement following a federal judge's ruling that Google violated antitrust laws to maintain its market dominance. The lawsuit was brought by Arkansas, the U.S. Department of Justice, and 13 other state attorneys general.
“This victory holds Google accountable for its anticompetitive acts that resulted in a stranglehold on online search markets. This ruling is a win for Arkansans and should send a message to all businesses that unlawful and unfair practices will not be tolerated. Now that liability has been determined, I will continue to push forward with this lawsuit to seek injunctive relief that benefits Arkansans and provides space for competition among internet search engines,” Griffin stated.
The court found Google guilty of entering into exclusionary contracts, making it the default search engine for browsers, mobile devices, and wireless carriers in exchange for revenue sharing. This case was consolidated with another enforcement action filed by 38 other attorneys general.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held Google liable in both lawsuits, finding its default distribution contracts anticompetitive without procompetitive justification, confirming Google's monopoly power in multiple online search markets.
About Attorney General Tim Griffin
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023. He previously served as the state's 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023 and represented Arkansas’s Second Congressional District from 2011-2015. Griffin has served over 28 years in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps and currently holds the rank of colonel.
Griffin's military service includes mobilization as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and deployment with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq. He currently commands the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana.
His previous roles include Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Liberty (née Bragg), North Carolina; Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas; Special Assistant to President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney; Senior Investigative Counsel at the Government Reform and Oversight Committee; and Associate Independent Counsel under David M. Barrett.
Griffin graduated from Magnolia High School, Hendrix College, Tulane Law School, and attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). He resides in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.