Googlers Followed Common Practice in Avoiding Antitrust Triggers

Alphabet Inc.‘s Google taught its employees to steer clear of certain phrases that could implicate antitrust violations, but such practices are standard and don’t help the Justice Department make its case against the online search giant, analysts and in-house counsel say.

The DOJ in its blockbuster monopoly trial against Google, currently in its third week, alleges the company illegally maintained its hold over the market for search engines. As part of that argument, the agency introduced an old company memo urging employees to avoid certain words and phrases for fear they could serve as indicators of monopoly power.

In ...