Attorney in California suggests he can investigate Big Tech
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
When attorneys general from 50 states and territories announced a joint antitrust investigation by Google, many left with one big question: Why not investigate California?
On Thursday, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, California, answered the question with one of their own: "How do you know we are not investigating?"
Google and Facebook are both headquartered in California, and a state-backed investigation can add much-needed resources to the Big Tech effort. States generally have far fewer resources than federal regulators to conduct large-scale investigations, but California's population and tax base are substantial enough to make a difference.
Alabama was the only other state that sat outside.
Becerra said his department does not comment on investigations, and declined to confirm or deny any probe, but to say, "stay tuned." The public knows little more about the announced probes than what can happen at California AG's office, Becerra told reporters at a press conference announcing draft rules for California's landmark protection.
"What do you know about the investigation that was announced?" Becerra asked about the multi-state probe. "We could make a lot of announcements. We'll get results. We're going to do things."
Becerra suggested that anticompetitive problems among technology companies are on his radar, pointing to the proposed regulations he announced on Thursday.
"We are fully aware of what is happening in this digital economy, and we are aware of the need to give consumers true protection," Becerra said. "We will continue to do what we need to do to protect the people of our state, and we will certainly act in every way."
Becerra said he acknowledges the desire for Californians to understand if his office is looking at highly-publicized issues like tech, and said it may seem "a little tough" not to make a statement, especially if the department chooses to file a case without any action.
"We're looking at it to see if we can give Californians the kind of information they are entitled to," he said.
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