WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators are moving closer to suing
Google web giant over allegations the company abuses its dominance of
Internet search to stifle competition and drive up online advertising
prices, news reports said late Friday.
Several news outlets
reported that staff members at the Federal Trade Commission are
preparing to recommend that the agency file an antitrust lawsuit against
Google.
A majority of the five FTC commissioners would have to approve a suit before legal action could proceed.
Reports from The New York Times,
Bloomberg News and Reuters news service cited unnamed people briefed on
the FTC's probe. FTC spokesman Peter Kaplan declined to comment.
The
agency has been investigating the business practices of Google, which
is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. The company's shares closed
down $6.73, or 0.9%, to $744.75 Friday. The shares fell another $2.48 in
after-hours trading. In a mostly down market, Google shares have fallen
3% the past week and are 9% below the stock's record high.
The
probe was triggered by complaints that Google has been featuring its
peripheral services closer to the top in search result displays and
relegating offerings from rivals lower on result display pages.
The
FTC also has been looking into whether Google rigs search results in a
way that makes companies with websites pay higher fees to promote their
services through Google's advertising network.
In a statement Friday, Google said, "We are happy to answer any questions that regulators have about our business."
Google is based in Mountain View, Calif.
Associated Press