(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The trial in Ohio’s lawsuit against Google Search is scheduled to begin on May 14, 2024, in Delaware County Common Pleas Court, Attorney General Dave Yost announced this week.
The lawsuit, filed in June 2021, seeks to declare the powerful search-engine giant a common carrier, which would make it subject to government regulation.
“By manipulating search results to self-preference its own products, Google is tilting the playing field against consumers and against emerging competitors,” Yost said. “It’s time to bring those unfair practices to an end.”
In May, Yost obtained a first-of-its-kind court decision when Delaware County Judge James Schuck refused to throw out the lawsuit, suggesting that Google Search might be subject to common-carrier laws.
Ohio is the first state in the nation to file such a lawsuit. Yost is trying to compel Google Search to provide results in a fairer way.