Google denies destroying 'chat' evidence in U.S. antitrust lawsuit

FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google in New York city, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google has denied intentionally destroying evidence in the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit over the company's search business, in a response to the government's bid for sanctions in federal court.

The Justice Department last month alleged Google failed to preserve certain internal corporate "chat" communications. The DOJ said Google told U.S. investigators in 2019 that the company had put a hold on allowing auto-deletion of those instant messaging records.