An anti-trust investigation into the actions of Google and involving many states, including Missouri, is continuing, the attorney general's office has confirmed.
The confirmation comes as reports emerged that the states and the Department of Justice may file suit against the company in the coming months.
"I don’t know if I’ll be able to get into this too in depth, other than to say that the investigation is still ongoing," said Chris Nuelle, a spokesperson for Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
An investigation, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was announced last year, centering on the company's advertising business.
When the investigation was announced, the Missouri attorney general described some of the actions of Google and other large tech firms as "unsettling."
"We must ensure that those companies who have risen to the top have done so through free market competition, and not anti-competitive tactics,” said Schmitt.
“Protecting the legal rights of all six million Missourians is one of my most important jobs as Attorney General, and ensuring that powerful tech companies who control the tech platforms that Missourians use on a daily basis are acting responsibly certainly falls under that job description.”
According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and by CNBC, the DOJ and the attorney generals are both close to filing suit. The WSJ reported that the DOJ may file as early as this summer.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement: “We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton, and we don’t have any updates or comments on speculation. Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition."
The reports come as President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at removing some of the legal protections given to social media platforms. The president was angered after Twitter added a fact check label to one of his comments.
Under the executive order, a social media site would lose protection if it edits a post, including adding a warning that it may not be factually correct. The order will face legal challenges.