Attorneys general from 36 states and one region are suing Google for alleged anti-competitive behavior-this time through its Google Play app store.

The lawsuit ignited the enthusiasm of large technology companies, which are face A kind Grow pile of Antitrust Suit, Block Bipartisan antitrust legislation From the House of Representatives and ready to undergo more stringent review by the Federal Trade Commission Now its direction Written by antitrust expert and major technology critic Lina Khan.

New suit The lawsuit filed on Wednesday alleges that Google makes it difficult for app developers to distribute Android apps anywhere outside of its Google Play store, where they are subject to rules and fees that benefit Google. It also said that Google has or has tried to reach an agreement with Android device manufacturers such as Samsung and mobile network operators such as Verizon to pre-install Google applications on their devices and not open their own competing application stores. The lawsuit alleges that Google also displays warning messages to Android device owners, claiming that apps in these app stores may contain malware, and forcing users to bypass confusing security messages when trying to download apps that are not from the Play Store, thereby preventing Android device owners use other app stores. .

The lawsuit alleges that these practices make it difficult for the company to compete with the Play Store and harm consumers and the company—except Google, of course.

“We have once again seen Google use its dominant position to illegally suppress competition and make billions of dollars in profits,” New York Attorney General Letia James said in a statement. “Through its illegal actions, the company has ensured that hundreds of millions of Android users switch to Google, and only Google can choose to download millions of applications on their phones and tablets. To make matters worse, Google is squeezing hundreds of The lifeblood of thousands of small businesses seeking competition. We are filing a lawsuit to end Google’s illegal monopoly power and ultimately speak out for millions of consumers and business owners.”

James and the attorneys general of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah were co-leaders in the case, and 32 other states and Washington, DC also joined the case. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint expressed in the lawsuit is similar to a complaint against the Apple App Store, which is under investigation. European Regulators And is Subject matter of pending litigation From epic games. Developers must go through the App Store and agree to its terms of service to place their apps on Apple’s mobile devices, and they must also provide Apple with substantial subscription fees and in-app purchase fees. Google avoids some such censorship because certain applications can be downloaded on Android devices without going through Google Play. It now appears that most attorney generals in the United States are trying to prove that this is not good enough.

For the foreseeable future, Google’s lawyers will be very busy.The company is Prosecute In 2020, 38 state attorneys general (led by James) filed charges against anti-competitive practices in their search results and search ads; the Justice Department also filed similar lawsuits that year. Last year, ten state attorneys general also filed anti-competitive lawsuits over Google’s ad technology practices.

These lawsuits are being heard in court, but Google may have one bright spot: an antitrust complaint filed by 48 state attorneys general (co-led by-you guessed it-James) and the Federal Trade Commission against the tech giant Facebook Be fired At the end of June, a judge stated that the attorney general’s complaint came too late and the FTC had not determined that Facebook was a monopoly. The FTC can resubmit the revised complaint within 30 days.

But even if this complaint ends with the attorney general’s complaint against Facebook, Google will not get out of the predicament. Due to antitrust issues, many legislators and regulators are eager to compete with large technology companies. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) listed antitrust enforcement and the separation of Big Tech as one of her main issues. She issued a statement on Wednesday night praising the latest lawsuit and warned that antitrust actions will not stop there.

“I commend these attorney generals for taking action,” she said. “The reason for the comprehensive antitrust reform is very clear. I will continue to fight for the revival of competition policy in Washington, so that our economy can flourish and consumers can receive the fair treatment they deserve.”