The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has reportedly begun a probe into whether tech giant Google Inc. (GOOG) has used its numero uno position in the online advertising market to curb competition.
The commission's investigation is in its preliminary stages, and may or may not result in a formal probe, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Federal investigators reportedly checking whether Google force companies to use its other products, taking advantage of its position in the advertising market. If found true, Google could be charged under the U.S. anti-trust laws. The U.S. online advertising industry is worth over $15 billion.
The latest inquiry comes just months after the Federal agency closed a two-year long antitrust probe on internet search giant's web search business. Google had emerged from that probe almost unscathed. It agreed to make few changes to its search practices to resolve FTC's competition concerns.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com