Google May Face New U.S. Justice Department Antitrust Probe
Skift Take
The momentum is certainly building for a renewed look into Google's business practices as they relate to antitrust issues. As part of that, a wide swath of travel businesses would welcome such a probe.
Seven years after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission declined to take any action, the Department of Justice is poised to undertake an antitrust investigation of Google parent Alphabet.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the Justice Department "is preparing to closely examine Google’s business practices related to its search and other businesses ..."
In response to the story, TripAdvisor CEO Steve Kaufer told Skift in a statement: “TripAdvisor remains concerned about Google’s practices in the U.S., the EU, and throughout the world. For the good of consumers and competition on the internet, we welcome any renewed interest by U.S. regulators into Google's anticompetitive behavior.”
It's unclear whether the antitrust investigation would cover Google's travel practices, which have come under wide criticism from companies, including Expedia Group, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Trip.com, and among many others.
However, one source argued that local search, including hotels and businesses that feature user-generated cont
