A bunch of US states are teaming up to take on Facebook and Google in antitrust investigations

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Well now, it seems that the legal troubles for both Facebook and Google aren’t going away anytime soon. That’s because a group of attorneys general from up to 36 US states are about to open overlapping antitrust investigations, according to reporting in The Wall Street Journal today.

The probe into Google is said to be led by Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, while Attorney General Letitia James of New York will be helming the probe into Facebook. Both probes are supposed to be announced on Monday.

Facebook and Google are about to be under multiple antitrust investigations from up to 36 US states

It seems that free-market regulation isn’t enough to stop the power of “Big Tech,” as two probes into Facebook and Google for anticompetitive behavior are in the works. The attorneys general involved are worried about the “unchecked power of large tech companies.”

Letitia James told The Journal:

The attorneys general involved have concerns over the control of personal data by large tech companies and will hold them accountable for anticompetitive practices that endanger privacy and consumer data.

• Two separate groups of attorneys general have been preparing to launch the antitrust investigations into Google and Facebook
• Roughly 36 state attorneys general are involved in the Google probe. The group size investigating Facebook is unknown at this time

This is the latest round in legal troubles for the tech giants. Back in June, Facebook was spanked to the tune of $5 billion by the FTC over its mishandling of user data linked to Cambridge Analytica. The FTC is also currently investigating Facebook over its core social-media business.

Google doesn’t have any formal antitrust investigations currently, but it has been reported that the Department of Justice is working on an investigation into the company.

What do you think? Glad that Facebook and Google will have to answer for some of the sketchy stuff they’ve done? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.