Facebook, Google Brace for Wave of Antitrust Probes From States (1)

Facebook Inc. and Google are facing intensifying scrutiny by state law enforcement officers with authority to impose vast fines and even break up companies that are found to have violated antitrust and privacy rules.

New York is leading a coalition of states in a wide-ranging investigation of Facebook and the Texas attorney general said Sept. 6 that he’ll announce a separate multi-state probe Monday into anti-competitive behavior by large tech companies. Bloomberg reported this week that the investigation is targeting Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

The developments create fresh problems for Facebook and Google after a wave of criticism by politicians ...