patrick.net

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tech-google/u-s-justice-departments-google-lawsuit-expected-in-weeks-ahead-sources-idUSKBN25V04Z

Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen told Reuters last month that the Justice Department was moving “full tilt” on a probe of Google and other Big Tech platforms.

A complaint, which had been expected around Labor Day, is now expected this month but potentially as late as mid-October, and is likely to focus on two sets of allegations, the sources said.

A person briefed on the matter confirmed that some career Justice Department attorneys have pushed to delay filing of a case pending further work, while Attorney General William Barr has pressed to move faster.

Barr told the Wall Street Journal last month that he was “hoping to make a decision by the end of the summer” on the Google probe.

The department is focusing on allegations that Google violates antitrust law by favoring its own businesses, for example YouTube, in search results rather than presenting neutral search results, the sources said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/03/doj-google-antitrust/?outputType=amp

The Justice Department is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google as soon as this month, according to two people familiar with the matter, after Attorney General William P. Barr overruled dozens of federal attorneys who initially signaled the U.S. government was not ready to bring such a landmark case.

The competition inquiry, which began last year, focuses on Google’s sprawling search and advertising empire and the extent to which it harms rivals and consumers. Federal officials have sought to expedite their work in recent weeks, aiming to file a complaint ideally before the 2020 presidential election, said the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a law enforcement proceeding.

The fast-track timeline initially appeared to worry some career lawyers at the Justice Department: This summer, more than 30 attorneys communicated their thoughts in an informal poll about the probe, and the vast majority said at the time they were not ready to file a case yet against Google, according to a third person familiar with the matter. The person said they believed only two people at the time were on board with the idea. The Justice Department has forged ahead with its work since then under Barr’s direction.

The timing, and the rush to get this out by mid oct at the latest despite pushback from lawyers saying they need more time, seems too coincidental to not be political. I'm guessing they hope that by showing the world they found evidence that google manipulates some stuff, that people will consider the possibility (or evidence) that google also politically manipulates.

I wonder though, how far they will go. They could hit big tech pretty hard, but this would likely hurt the stock market, which is also risky to do in election season.

Tech stocks are in the gutter the past 2 days, I think when the latest version of this story broke? I think a big dip in certain tech stocks is coming when they announce charges. Think I better go look at how much some puts cost...