Federal Trade Commission Considers Antitrust Investigation Of Google

April 5, 2011 3:10:56 AM

NEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is considering an antitrust investigation of Google Inc's dominance of the Web search industry, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Before deciding whether to launch such an investigation, the FTC is waiting for the Justice Department to decide whether it will challenge Google's planned $700 million purchase of airline ticketing software company, ITA Software Inc, Bloomberg said, citing the people.

The FTC and the Justice Department share responsibility for investigating antitrust claims and could negotiate which agency would lead a major investigation into Google, Bloomberg said.

The Justice Department could soon announce its decision on Google's purchase of ITA, the people told the news agency.

Representatives for Google and the FTC did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday night. A representative for the Justice Department could not be reached.

Google's dominance in search is inviting heightened regulatory scrutiny around the world.

The internet giant, which runs the world's most popular search engine, has been under investigation by the European Commission since last November.

Last week rival Microsoft Corp filed a formal complaint with European antitrust regulators, claiming that Google systematically thwarts Internet search competition.[ID:nN31223364] (Reporting by Maria Aspan; Editing by Matt Driskill)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[iamvalid]

11:38 PM on 04/05/2011

Hmm, make one wonder who's the FTC's sugar daddy this quarter.

[GENE DEVAUX]

06:48 PM on 04/05/2011

Why is it that the Justice Department does not invstigate Wal Mart. That giant corporation is responsible for sending millions of our jobs out of the United States and has wiped out mom and pop stores all over the United States and other countries. It is too big and powerful and should be broken up. Wal Mart is stil under the control of the Walton family that is too rich and powerful and is deeply involved in the American political system to elect politicians who are willing to kiss their feet. It's not just the Koch brothers who are trying to run this country, Wal Mart is just as bad if not worse.

[endbag]

05:19 PM on 04/05/2011

Microsoft - the irony!

[Whatchamacallitology]

03:34 PM on 04/05/2011

While the FTC is at it please put Walmart on the list and do us all a favor and break them up first.

[tlcpro]

01:42 PM on 04/05/2011

Their search engine does the job people want it to do. Why complain? If you don't like Google, don't use it.

[iamvalid]

11:40 PM on 04/05/2011

How true. It's not like if you go into the big box store and the only OS you can buy is Google OS. How hypocritical.

[Jocto]

01:05 PM on 04/05/2011

-
Why "Google"?
-
The "PRICE of OIL" a 'naturally 'forming' and recurring product' of Earth processes
that causes much more consternation, and problems to a far, far, greater number of
people than ANYTHING "Google" is about!
-
Why doesn't the "Federal Trade Commission" 'institute' an "ANTITRUST INVESTIGATION"
of the 'MONOPOLISTIC' ACTIONS OF AMERICAN OIL 'CABALS' that are responsible for "Limiting Crude Oil Production" "To Support (exhorbitant) Prices"?
-

[JustMyWords]

02:56 PM on 04/05/2011

Umm, maybe because the majority of oil production isn't controlled by 'American oil cabals,' but by other nations, which are outside the legal reach of American anti-trust legislation?

[Jocto]

10:44 AM on 04/06/2011

-
Perhaps you might better understand my 'concern' once you become aware of the FACT that American Oil Companies with help from the 'Media' have LIED to the World about the true source of Crude Oil for more that 100 years by repeating the LIES of "Fossil Fuel" and "Peak Oil"?
-
In the late 17 hundreds (18thCentury) Russians drilled deep into the Earth and found the TRUE SAUCE of what is 'actually' "ABIONIC" OIL that is apparently continually being formed by natural Earth processes and ''NO END' of these 'processes' nor, of the "Crude Oil" resulting therefrom has yet been found!
-
In addition to this info, consider that, like everything else we humans work at, the 'equipment used', methods of locating, 'drilling', storing, and 'processing' has undergone MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS so that , in reality, the actual costs of presently producing 'Crude Oil' and the Bi-products including 'Gasoline' are NOW substancially
less than they were in the 1940's or 1950's so the Major American Oil Companies are
(In my personal opinion) GOUGING America with unnecessarily high prices by such means as (Reported in the News) "Reducing Production to Support Prices"!
-

[Jocto]

05:42 PM on 04/05/2011

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My 'question' ONLY refers to what I consider a 'Cabal' or 'Monoplies' in the U S A!
-
There is info on the Internet that "Producing wells in U S A are "Capped"!
-
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April ('08)
-
There is 8 times more oil in USA than Saudi Arabia, inside our borders!
-
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911<%3B
-
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911
-
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April ('08)
-
U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World!
Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006
-
They reported this stunning news:
-
Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies
the largest untapped oil reserve in the world.(!)
-
The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska 's Prudhoe Bay ,
and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil.
-
We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth.
Here are the official estimates:
- 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
- 18-times as much oil as Iraq
- 21-times as much oil as Kuwait
- 22-times as much oil as Iran
- 500-times as much oil as Yemen
- and it's all right here in the Western United States .
-

[Greatest Darthfruit]

12:52 PM on 04/05/2011

i love google

[jstrate]

12:49 PM on 04/05/2011

Perhaps this means that Google has neglected to hire costly Beltway lobbying firms and write a sufficient number of checks to members of Congress. Microsoft once made that error, but quickly learned how to behave itself in Washington.

[bigthoughtful]

12:42 PM on 04/05/2011

None of us care!? I can't think of the last time I went to Google something and didn't find exactly what I was looking for.

[Jocto]

04:01 PM on 04/07/2011

-
-
Be kind? - 'If' you do 'research' 'where' do 'you' 'go' if not 'Google"!
-
Thanks!

[drdaldds]

12:23 PM on 04/05/2011

Where is the FTC when it is actually needed desperately...investigating the eBay/PayPal/Square Trade monopoly...with their continued violation of the consumer protection laws? If the truth be known, there really is no federal consumer protection to speak of, and that is so very wrong. If you have ever tried to wake up the FTC, the IC3, the ICC, or even the federal banking offices, you soon realize that there is absolutely no easy way to contact any of them, plus they never bother to respond anyway. Consumer protection on a federal level, is abysmal...a total joke, and many scam businesses out there, count on that being the case. Our own government has grown out of touch with the people it serves.

[Cowboylove]

12:14 PM on 04/05/2011

Being the biggest and best is not a violation of Antitrust laws. Doing criminal things, such as Microsoft did in destroying competitors is.

[drdaldds]

01:27 PM on 04/05/2011

Oh...and the eBay strike rules are not in violation of consumer protection laws on the books? Likewise, forcing people to use only their in house PayPal for financing, is not in violation of antitrust laws? If anything ever goes awry, eBay always responds the exact same way...they delete your account...end of story...and that is within the parameters of consumer protection laws? What world do you live in?

[lhanderson86]

12:14 PM on 04/05/2011

But not AT&T or Comcast?

[MISTERUNCONVENTIONAL]

12:02 PM on 04/05/2011

Lycos, Infoseek, Alta Vista, Northern Lights....all those other search engines seem like ancient history now.

[Robert Blackburn]

11:39 AM on 04/05/2011

Everyone will closely follow any investigation by the government - on Google. See: RevolutionofReason.com and YouTube: RobertLBlackburn

[SoCalNick]

11:17 AM on 04/05/2011

If you can't beat them Sue them.

Meanwhile AT&T is allowed to rebuild its Monopoly even before their services can deal with it. Soon they will be the all powerful only krappy choice we have again as they rise prices to the roof.

People have short memories.

That is all