Antitrust regulators in the US are reportedly focusing their investigation of Google, Inc. on key areas of its business. This includes the company's Android mobile-phone software and web-search related services.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, almost six weeks after serving Google with broad subpoenas, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawyers, together with several state attorney generals, have been enquiring whether Google prevents smartphone manufacturers that use its Android operating system from using competitors' services. They are also looking into allegations that Google unfairly acquires information collected by rivals to use on its own specialised site and then devalues the rivals' services in its search results.
The European Commission, which has imposed restrictions on Microsoft Corp.'s ability to leverage its dominant computer operating system to promote other services, has been running its own broad antitrust probe against Google since 2010.
Google has denied that it engages in unfair or illegal competitive practices. According to the company, the growing number of antitrust investigations has been stimulated by rivals anxious about its aggressive push into new business sectors.
As part of its probe, the FTC is reportedly preparing to send out civil subpoenas to third parties to provide documents and evidence in its investigation. Investigators have already held a series of exploratory meetings and interviews with Google, its competitors and other third parties, providing inputs on the kinds of areas they're concerned about.
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