OREANDA-NEWS. The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google, on charges of violating competition in the field of search services.

The enterprise is accused of concluding agreements that prevented competitors from entering the sector. According to the US government, Google paid mobile phone manufacturers, telecom operators and Internet browsers, for example Safari owned by Apple Inc., to set Google as the default search engine. The company also entered into “exclusive agreements” prohibiting the pre-installation of competing search engines, and forced to install its search applications on convenient places on the screens of mobile devices and make them inaccessible for removal.

“Today, millions of Americans rely on the Internet and online platforms for their daily lives. Competition in this industry is vitally important, which is why today’s challenge against Google – the gatekeeper of the Internet – for violating antitrust laws is a monumental case both for the Department of Justice and for the American people, ” US Attorney General William Barr explained.

The attorneys general of 11 states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, and Texas, supported the lawsuit.