Tags: Justice Department

President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence.” The order creates a Justice Department task force to challenge state AI statutes that conflict with a forthcoming federal framework and directs the Commerce Department to withhold future broadband funding from states that enact what the administration calls “onerous” AI regulations. Supported by industry groups and White House advisers, the order also instructs advisers David Sacks and Michael Kratsios to draft legislative recommendations for a national AI policy, while carving out limited protections for child safety, data‑center infrastructure, and state procurement. State attorneys general and civil‑rights groups have criticized the move as an overreach that will likely face legal challenges. Read more

A draft executive order obtained by WIRED directs the Justice Department to create an AI Litigation Task Force that would sue states for AI regulations deemed to violate federal law. The order, titled “Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy,” targets state measures that require AI models to alter truthful outputs or compel developers to disclose information that could conflict with the First Amendment. It cites recent AI safety statutes in California and Colorado and grants the Commerce Department authority to withhold broadband funding from non‑compliant states. Industry groups and civil liberties advocates have voiced strong opposition. Read more

In a federal antitrust trial over Google’s dominance in digital advertising, Judge Leonie Brinkema has centered the dispute on whether the company can be trusted to follow court orders. The Justice Department seeks a divestiture of Google’s AdX exchange and changes to its DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) tool, arguing that the current setup harms publishers and advertisers. Google counters that the remedies are impractical and warns that the government overestimates the difficulty of restructuring its ad‑tech stack. The judge’s probing of trust may shape the final remedies and the future of Google’s ad‑tech business. Read more

Alphabet surpassed the $3 trillion market capitalization threshold after a federal judge declined to order a breakup of the company. The decision softened the remedies from a prior ruling that found Google’s search business illegal monopoly. The Justice Department’s proposal to force the sale of Chrome and other aggressive actions was rejected, ending unsolicited bids from firms. Meanwhile, Alphabet’s cloud and AI offerings continue to drive growth, placing the firm alongside Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple in the elite trillion‑dollar club. Read more