Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post Wednesday that the company is investing more than $10 billion this year in data centers and offices across the United States. The move comes as Google faces increased scrutiny from U.S. regulators.
Leaders of the House Judiciary Committee in September requested documents from the company, raising antitrust concerns. The Federal Trade Commission said in February that it's examining prior acquisitions made by Google parent Alphabet. And the DOJ in July announced a broad antitrust review of Big Tech.
Google will spend the money to expand its presence in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and California, Pichai said.
"These investments will create thousands of jobs — including roles within Google, construction jobs in data centers and renewable energy facilities, and opportunities in local businesses in surrounding towns and communities," Pinchai said in a statement. To put that figure in perspective, Google earned $46.08 billion in revenue in Q4.
It's also less than Google spent last year. In February 2019, the company announced it was putting up $13 billion to expand key locations and build data centers around the United States.
