US technology giants faced yet another competition probe, this time from state officials aiming to determine whether the companies use their power to suppress rivals, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

The newspaper tipped several states to launch a joint investigation into the likes of Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook, following in the footsteps of regulators at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DoJ).

Both agencies opened competition probes focused on big technology companies in July, with the former exploring the potential unwinding of anti-competitive acquisitions.

State officials could initiate their investigation as soon as next month, WSJ reported.

The move comes weeks after Bloomberg reported at least eight state attorneys general met with DoJ chief William Barr to discuss technology companies’ impact on competition. At the time, the Texas attorney general’s office told the news agency it was “considering a range of possible antitrust actions against such companies.”

In an interview with Bloomberg published Monday (19 August), Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser expressed support for a review of big tech acquisitions, arguing that “looking back it does look like that sort of transaction didn’t get the scrutiny it deserved”.