back to article You, Google. Get in here and explain all this personal data slurping – Missouri AG subpoena

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley on Monday said his office is investigating Google's business practices, adding fuel to the long smouldering antitrust fire that the Chocolate factory has been unable to extinguish. The ad biz has been trying to smother the flames for almost a decade now, fanned at first by Microsoft's …

  1. ratfox

    What happened to the fight with the AG in the neighboring Mississippi? If I remember correctly, Google managed to convinced some judge that the AG's subpoena was too broad, and a fishing expedition. I'm not sure it's over yet though.

    Since the FTC decided to give Google a pass, the state AG are apparently taking things into their own hands.

  2. ecofeco Silver badge

    Grandstanding

    Nothing to see. A politician is grandstanding. Nothing will change.

    1. Adam 52 Silver badge

      Re: Grandstanding

      The thing with politicians grandstanding is that it encourages other politicians to grandstand and then eventually one of them decides that there's enough momentum built that there might be votes in actually doing something.

  3. inmypjs Silver badge

    About time google got their act together and...

    bought some more politicians.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: About time google got their act together and...

      They did. One need only track the shuffling between Google and the Obama administration to see that there were many bought and sold. Happened with Congressional staffs, too. Which makes sense when you match progressive politics and progressive tendencies between all of them.

      Every one who isn't on Thiel's or Bannon's Christmas card list might consider bunkering down right about now.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: About time google got their act together and...

      See how much money Google spends on lobbying, come back, update your statement.

  4. veti Silver badge

    "Investigative subpoena"?

    Sounds to me very like legalese for "fishing trip".

    The A-G doesn't even mention the statutes that he thinks Google may be violating, he just waves his hands and talks some generic bullshit he's read about big data. I'm pretty sure "being big data" is not a crime, even in Missouri.

    Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that Google unfairly manipulates its search results (and has done so these 10 years or more, basically ever since the launch of Google Books). But if I were making this kind of complaint about it, I'd be a lot more specific about it.

    1. Mephistro

      Re: "Investigative subpoena"?

      Perhaps the article has been edited after your comment, but now it reads "Hawley claims there may be evidence that Google manipulates its search results to favour Google-affiliated websites over competitors' websites. " and gives a few examples, regarding "Lyrics" sites and "Restaurant Reviews" sites.

  5. Mephistro
    Devil

    Prepare for round two...

    ...where a Google-friendly AG will launch a similar investigation against Facebook.

    (Note to self: Add 10 Kg. of popcorn to the shopping list. There'll be shortages.)

    8^)

  6. jMcPhee

    On the other hand...

    ... he's done doodley squat to protect his constituents from Equifax damage. Telling us what we already heard from the FTC wasn't particularly helpful.

  7. Mark 85

    Up next: Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is running for governor. Or maybe the Senate.... Got a make a name and get one's picture in all the local papers.

    Disclaimer: I used to live in Missouri and have seen the "state" politicians in action.

  8. Lysenko

    Missouri GDP ~$230B - Google market cap ~$720B.

    Google can basically buy Missouri so I can't see them losing much sleep over some grandstanding political hack with a total budget of about $35M launching an "investigation".

    1. ratfox

      Re: Missouri GDP ~$230B - Google market cap ~$720B.

      Careful: the Missouri GDP is the total yearly revenue of the state, while the market cap is a measure of what Google is worth. For comparison, Google's revenue is about $100B a year. It's growing fast, but it will take 4-5 years until it catches up with Missouri. So no, Google cannot buy Missouri.

    2. Mephistro
      Devil

      Re: Missouri GDP ~$230B - Google market cap ~$720B.

      Why buy a state when buying a ton of politicians will suffice and is far cheaper? $100m per state and they could be stealing all their users data and also ass raping said users weekly without any interference from the authorities.

      ;-)

      1. nijam Silver badge

        Re: Missouri GDP ~$230B - Google market cap ~$720B.

        > buying a ton of politicians will suffice

        If you read the article, you'd have spotted that the politician's already been bought, otherwise nothing would be happening.

  9. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

    Actually...

    I disagree with the sentiments, there seems to be a lot of growing momentum (albeit not quite a concerted effort yet) and a groundswell from a lot of different people and areas that are now starting to take a long hard look at Google and asking some fairly straight questions about their operations. I think over the next couple of years there will be some fairly direct action against them and I'm not sure they will be able to buy their way out of it.

  10. Updraft102

    "There is strong reason to believe that Google has not been acting with the best interest of Missourians in mind,"

    Will somebody PLEASE think of the Missourians?!

  11. Andy Livingstone

    Good On You

    Well done, the SHOW ME State

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