Google Accused in Antitrust Suit of Stifling Voice Recognition

Alphabet Inc.'s Google was hit with federal antitrust litigation in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday over claims the tech giant leverages its market dominance to block most major electronic devices from simultaneously running multiple apps that use different voice assistant “wakewords.”

The lawsuit accuses the company of erecting “artificial” barriers—through its Android operating system, pacts with manufacturers, and a side deal with Apple Inc.—restricting “concurrent wakeword” technology that could lead consumers to search engines other than Google.

The web of restrictions is aimed at preventing any electronic device with access to Google’s voice recognition platform, Google Assistant, from “listening” for ...