WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today issued the following statement as Google nears a settlement of an antitrust case with France alleging that the company has abused its power in online advertising.

“Like many Americans across the political spectrum, I have been concerned by the exercise of market power held by Google and other tech giants, which is why I chaired a hearing on Google’s conduct in digital advertising last fall. As we heard in the hearing, Google appears to have a commanding share of every piece of the online advertising market, and appears to be using its leading market positions in search and online video to engage in tying on the advertiser side of its business, essentially forcing the vast majority of demand onto its platform. I’m pleased to see that France has made headway in securing fair competition in online advertising, and hope that Americans soon receive the same benefits of competition as the French.”