- The U.S. Justice Department has accelerated an Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Maps investigation, Reuters reports.
- The DOJ looked to determine if bundling the service with other Google software illegally stifled competition.
- The DOJ first highlighted the probe in late 2020. It had been silent until recent months before making inquiries again.
- The probe focused on apps, including navigation provided through infotainment screens in vehicles.
- Google Automotive Services package for automakers bundled Maps, the Google Play app store, Google Assistant, and other services.
- Car companies are prohibited from mixing Google Maps with voice assistants developed by smaller rivals in its Google Automotive Services package. The probe also targeted app and website developers.
- The DOJ probed Google's requirement that if a website or app used one Google technology, like Google's location search, the website or app developer could not use maps or other technologies developed by Google's rivals.
- A congressional antitrust panel previously concluded that Google effectively forced developers to choose whether they would use all of Google's mapping services or none of them.
- Google argued that its policies prevented poor experience and stemmed from its partners' restrictions.
- Price Action: GOOG shares traded lower by 0.36% at $2,854.78 on the last check Wednesday.
