Ohio Files Lawsuit Against Google for ‘Anti-Competitive Behavior’

Dave Yost spoke at the Ohio Republican Party's election night party in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 6, 2018. Justin Merriman/Getty Images

On Tuesday, Attorney General Dave Yost of Ohio filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of “discriminatory and anti-competitive behavior.” The lawsuit moves to have Google declared a public utility, subjecting it to regulatory boards in the state.

Though Google has faced federal and state level scrutiny before, this lawsuit is the first to definitively call for Google to be treated as a public utility.

Ohio AG Criticizes Monopolistic Practices by Google, Calls for Regulation

The opening of the case, State of Ohio v. Google (pdf), reads: “The vast majority of Ohioans use the internet. And nearly all of those who do use Google Search. Google is so ubiquitous that its name has become a verb.”