Google’s Advertising Practices Draw Nationwide Probe by States (1)

A nationwide group of states opened an investigation into whether Google’s advertising practices violate antitrust laws, targeting the heart of the search giant’s business.

Fifty attorneys general, led by Ken Paxton of Texas, announced the probe Sept. 9 on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, citing concerns that the company is raising costs for advertisers and questioning whether consumers are getting the best information from search results.

“This is a company that dominates all aspects of advertising on the internet and searching on the internet,” Paxton said.

The investigation is the latest sign of the rapidly expanding antitrust ...