US: Another FTC probe? Not to Google’s knowledge

Just days after reports surfaced that US regulators were investigating Google, the conglomerate, which is currently under investigation by European regulators and escaped a previous Federal Trade Commission probe unscathed just last year, has said it has not been approached by the FTC concerning any new investigation. Reports surfaced last week that Google was being investigated yet again for anticompetitive practices, this time over the way it sells online advertising. One anonymous source noted that the investigation this far was informal but has been ongoing for more than a month. But a statement emailed by Google representatives to the press on Friday denied any such investigation and noted that the FTC had just concluded a lengthy antitrust review of the company, referring to an earlier case that concluded early this year with the FTC. “…no issues were raised about our display business. Nor have we been told of any new or additional investigation into our business,” the statement said. Antitrust experts have said that a major, formal investigation by regulators is unlikely to initiate so soon after the last one, and that Commissioner Joshua Wright’s recusal from future Google cases for the next two years leaves the regulator down to four commissioners from its usual give.