SAN FRANCISCO: The US Department of Justice has asked Google to provide records on past investigations, as part of its extensive probe of tech giants over possible anti-competitive practices, the Internet titan said Friday.
Washington has not named the companies it has targeted in its probe — which began in July — but it appears directed at the likes of dominant tech players such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.
“We have answered many questions on these issues over many years, in the United States as well as overseas, across many aspects of our business, so this is not new for us,” Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president of global affairs, said in a blog post.
“The DOJ (Department of Justice) has asked us to provide information about these past investigations, and we expect state attorneys general will ask similar questions,” Walker said, confirming rumors in the US media that a coalition of US states would soon launch an antitrust investigation of the group.
“We have always worked constructively with regulators and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Google was “one of America’s top spenders on research and development, making investments that spur innovation: Things that were science fiction a few years ago are now free for everyone,” he stressed.
Lawmakers and activists have raised concerns about the growing dominance of online giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon in key segments of the digital economy.
A coalition of US states, including New York, on Friday launched an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms.
US justice department seeks Google records in antitrust probe of Big Tech
US justice department seeks Google records in antitrust probe of Big Tech
- Washington has not named the companies it has targeted in its probe — which began in July — but it appears directed at dominant tech players
Hezbollah says Israeli strike killed Al-Manar TV presenter in southern Lebanon
- The Israeli military said later on Monday that Al-Din was a Hezbollah militant who recently worked to rehabilitate the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said on Monday that an Israeli strike in the country’s south killed TV presenter Ali Nour Al-Din, who worked for the group’s affiliated Al-Manar television station.
The group said the killing portends “the danger of Israel’s extended escalations (in Lebanon) to include the media community.”
The Israeli military said later on Monday that Al-Din was a Hezbollah militant who recently worked to rehabilitate the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024 to end more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which culminated in Israeli strikes that severely weakened the Iran-backed militant group. Since then, the sides have traded accusations over ceasefire violations.
Lebanon has faced growing pressure from the US and Israel to disarm Hezbollah. The group’s leaders fear that Israel could dramatically escalate strikes across the battered country, aiming to push the Lebanese government for quicker action to confiscate Hezbollah’s arsenal.
