The FTC is planning a broad antitrust investigation of Google, Bloomberg reports. The investigation "could be on par" with the Justice Department's actions against MIcrosoft in the 1990s, a law professor told Bloomberg.
The only thing the FTC is waiting for is for the DoJ to decide whether to block Google's acquisition of flight software company ITA, which might threaten travel search engines like Kayak. There's an element of jostling between the FTC and DoJ, which oversee antitrust investigations.
There have been noises for a while about a potential antitrust investigation against Google in the US, but this is the first indication that an antitrust authority is seriously planning a deep and broad investigation of Google on antitrust grounds.
This is Google CEO Larry Page's second day into the job. Yesterday, $900 million for a patent portfolio. Today, fighting the US government. Heck of a way to hit the ground running.
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