[ti:US Files Case against Google for Harming Competition] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday [00:03.00]brought legal action against Google for its business methods. [00:08.20]It said the company used its market power [00:11.52]over internet search and advertising [00:14.48]to limit competition and harm users. [00:19.64]The case marks the government's most notable antitrust legal action [00:25.24]since its case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. [00:31.04]The U.S. started the case against Google [00:34.28]while continuing its investigations into other major technology companies. [00:41.48]Those companies include Apple, Amazon and Facebook. [00:47.76]U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen led the antitrust case against Google. [00:55.92]The government called Goggle the "gatekeeper for the internet." [01:01.52]It said Google kept its power using methods "that are harmful to competition." [01:08.64]Such methods include paying billions of dollars to companies [01:13.36]like Apple, Samsung and T-Mobile to make Google [01:18.56]the default search engine on mobile devices and internet browsers. [01:25.60]And the company also entered agreements with companies [01:29.76]to bar preinstalled software from competitors. [01:35.08]Eleven states, all with Republican Party attorneys general, [01:39.92]joined the federal government in the case. [01:44.48]Google called the government's case "deeply flawed." [01:49.08]The company said in a blog post, "People use Google because they choose to, [01:55.20]not because they're forced to, or because they can't find alternatives." [02:02.76]The company said that the case would "make it harder [02:06.24]for people to get the search services they want to use." [02:11.80]It defended the agreements as normal business methods [02:16.12]that "are no different from the agreements that many other companies [02:19.72]have traditionally used to distribute software." [02:24.44]Google has such a commanding lead in the market [02:27.96]that its name has become a verb [02:30.60]to describe searching for information on the internet. [02:35.76]Statcounter reported that Google's Chrome browser [02:39.64]has more than 66 percent of the worldwide market. [02:44.64]And its Android software runs 74 percent of mobile phones around the world. [02:53.80]The company also owns the top video website, [02:57.84]YouTube, and operates the Google Map system. [03:02.96]The market value of Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., is more than $1 trillion. [03:11.00]The company reported more than $160 billion in earnings last year. [03:18.84]U.S. federal and state antitrust laws are designed [03:23.16]to place limits on the economic power a business has over a market. [03:29.64]The goal is to protect competition [03:32.16]and Americans who use the company's goods and services. [03:36.88]In 1974, the antitrust case against AT&T [03:42.80]led to the breakup of the huge, American telephone company. [03:48.20]When asked what action should be taken against Google, [03:52.36]a Justice Department official said, "Nothing is off the table." [03:58.00]The officials added that a court [04:00.16]should hear all the evidence before any decisions are made. [04:05.92]Two weeks ago, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee [04:12.04]released its 16-month long investigation [04:15.60]into the "state of competition in the digital economy." [04:20.72]The committee called for stronger antitrust measures against Google [04:25.52]along with Apple, Amazon and Facebook for their business methods. [04:32.64]Google has faced similar antitrust legal action outside the United States. [04:40.16]The European Union fined Google $1.7 billion in 2019 [04:46.48]for stopping websites from using Google's competitors to find advertisers. [04:53.80]The company was fined $2.6 billion in 2017 [04:58.92]for hurting competitors of its own shopping business with its search engine. [05:05.60]Google also was fined $4.9 billion in 2018 [05:11.36]for blocking competing services on its wireless Android operating system. [05:17.92]I'm Jonathan Evans. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM