Department of Justice will charge Google with multiple violations of federal antitrust law today

The lawsuit will kick off a legal war between Washington and Silicon Valley, one that could have vast implications not only for Google but the entire tech industry.

The Department of Justice is expected Tuesday to charge Google with violating federal antitrust law, according to two people familiar with the matter, finding after a year-long investigation that the tech giant wrongfully wielded its digital dominance to the detriment of corporate rivals and consumers.

The federal government’s imminent lawsuit will touch off a landmark and lengthy legal war between Washington and Silicon Valley, one that could have vast implications not only for Google but the entirety of a tech industry that has faced new, unprecedented scrutiny in recent years for the unrivaled power, money and data it has amassed.

Neither the Justice Department nor Google responded to a request for comment.

A federal antitrust lawsuit marks the start, not the end, of the government’s gambit against Google. It could take years for a federal court to resolve whether the company violated the country’s competition laws and, if so, what punishments it should may face.

Eleven Republican attorneys general -- from states including Louisiana, Florida and Texas -- have signed onto the Justice Department’s complaint. Other states may still choose to join the federal case, or they may opt to bring their own against the tech giant, widening the legal ground Google must cover to defend its business from serious, potentially far-reaching changes.