Supreme Court Denies Appeal in Google Antitrust Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from South Carolina's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism regarding a subpoena from Google related to an antitrust lawsuit involving 17 states. This decision upholds a Fourth Circuit ruling that requires the agency to provide documents needed by Google to defend against allegations of monopolistic practices in the digital advertising sector. South Carolina’s agency contested the subpoena, arguing it was not an 'arm of the state' and thus not obligated to comply. However, the court found that by participating in the litigation, the state waived its sovereign immunity. Google has denied the antitrust allegations and noted that other state agencies have complied with similar requests. The case highlights ongoing tensions between state agencies and large tech companies amid scrutiny over monopolistic behaviors.