U.S. Google Monopoly Case Could Hit Supreme Court AmEx Hurdle
- Justice Department is poised to file Google suit within weeks
- Two-sided markets rule could raise burden of proof for DOJ
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As the Justice Department prepares to file a landmark antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.’s Google, a 2018 Supreme Court decision in favor of American Express Co. could complicate matters.
Attorney General William Barr is expected as soon as September to sue the search and online advertising giant, alleging it engages in anticompetitive conduct, according to people familiar with the matter. Numerous states, which are also investigating Google, could join the lawsuit or file their own later, two of the people said, asking not to be named discussing a confidential matter.