Google has denied allegations that it destroyed evidence related to an antitrust lawsuit filed against the company by the United States Department of Justice. The lawsuit, which was filed in October 2020, accuses Google of using its dominant market position to stifle competition in the search and advertising markets.
The Department of Justice alleged in a court filing earlier this month that Google had “unilaterally” deleted emails and other electronic documents that were relevant to the case. The filing also accused Google of failing to preserve chat messages from executives’ devices, despite being under a legal obligation to do so.
Google has refuted these allegations in a statement released on Wednesday. The company stated that it had not “destroyed” any evidence, and that it had been cooperating with the Department of Justice throughout the investigation.
“Google has not destroyed any evidence, and we will continue to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigation. We’re confident that we’ll be able to demonstrate that there’s no merit to these claims,” the statement read.
The antitrust lawsuit against Google is one of several legal challenges faced by the company in recent years. In December 2020, a group of US states filed a separate antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company had engaged in anti-competitive practices in the online advertising market.
The European Union has also fined Google several times in recent years for antitrust violations. In 2017, the EU fined Google a record €2.4 billion for abusing its dominance in the search market to promote its own shopping service.
Google is not the only tech giant to face antitrust scrutiny in recent years. Apple, Amazon, and Facebook have also faced similar allegations of anti-competitive behavior.
The outcome of the antitrust lawsuit against Google could have far-reaching implications for the tech industry as a whole. If Google is found guilty of anti-competitive practices, it could be forced to change its business practices and pay significant fines.
The case is currently ongoing, and it remains to be seen how it will be resolved. The Department of Justice has stated that it intends to prove its case in court, and it is likely that the proceedings will continue for several more months.
