DELAWARE, Ohio (WTVN)--Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a first-of-it's-kind lawsuit, claiming that Google should be treated as a public utility.
Yost says the company's dominance in the internet search market prompts it to steer users to it's own products. He says Google should be subject to proper government regulation, and the company has a duty to offer sources or competitors rights equal to its own.
The suit was filed Tuesday in Delaware County.
A statement from Yost's office says, "In plain terms, Yost argues Ohioans are harmed by Google because they cannot make the best choices if they don’t get all of the information. For example, if someone searches for a flight and Google returns its own presentation of search results to steer the person to Google Flights, the person doesn’t see offers from competitors such as Orbitz and Travelocity."
The lawsuit argues that more competition in the internet search market would benefit consumers. Yost is not seeking money from the lawsuit.