The DOJ has been ordered to remove files from its website that pertain to its antitrust trial with Google. In a new report from The Verge (via Bloomberg’s Leah Nylen), Nylen says that the Judge Amit Mehta told the Justice Department to remove trial documents from its website. Mehta followed the request by saying he would make a decision about the documents in the morning. Referencing whether or not those documents could be made available for public access again.
Google has been in court with the DOJ for its antitrust trial since last week Tuesday. Leading to revelations that the search company has allegedly trained employees to avoid certain words or phrases that could make them sound like monopolists. Google has also allegedly hid evidence by deleting chat logs according to the DOJ’s Kenneth Dintzer.
Google lawyers informed Judge Mehta that the DOJ was posting the files online
The DOJ removal of the files from its website apparently comes from a conversation involving Google during the antitrust trial. Google lawyers reportedly alerted Judge Mehta that the DOJ was posting these files up on its website.
And the argument seems to be over whether or not the public should have access to these particular files. Judge Mehta isn’t opposed to the files being posted he says. But hasn’t come to a decision on if they should be public. Should the department decide to post future documents, it says it will notify Google ahead of time. In doing so, Google would have an opportunity to voice its opinion on whether the documents should be posted.
And that could help avoid this sort of thing again. Google’s fear is likely that public access of these documents could lead to information being disclosed that isn’t supposed to be. And it obviously doesn’t want such a thing to happen.
2023-09-20 15:06:16