WASHINGTON: Tech MNC Google has been brought under the scanner after Missouri’s attorney general Josh Hawley launched an investigation into an alleged mishandling of private customer data and manipulation of search results for personal marketing purposes.
The probe follows a fine worth USD 2.7 billion that was levied on Google in June, along with a tighter noose around the influence of dominant tech companies in the country.
In lieu of the current allegation, the state has issued Google a subpoena seeking information about its business practices, reports The Washington Post.
Reports suggest that the investigation will focus on three issues: the scope of Google's data collection, whether it has abused its market position as a dominant search engine and whether the company used its competitors’ content as its own in search results.
However, refuting claims of having received the designated subpoena, Google, in a statement, assured that strong privacy protections were in place while competing in a highly “dynamic” environment.