On December 19, we reported that, according to sources, the FTC was set to push its investigation of Google into early 2013. Originally, it was to be settled by the end of 2012, but a heap of criticism prompted an extension while the agency looked into additional penalties. Apparently they didn't need much extra time, as sources are now stating that Google will settle the probe tomorrow.
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‘FTC’ Stories
Google reportedly to settle antitrust probe on January 3
Microsoft slams Google, claims it is intentionally harming Windows Phone
Google has been in the news for quite some time over a variety of FTC investigations and issues concerning mobile, advertising, and search practices, with claims that it is deliberately harming its competition. Now Microsoft's Vice President Dave Heiner has tossed his voice into the mix, posting a lengthy piece on TechNet that expresses concern over the slap on the wrist Google is poised to get from the FTC while claiming that the search engine giant is intentionally harming Windows Phone and its competition in general.
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FTC Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule amendments made clear
This week the FTC announced their first significant update to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule since 1998, having been in talks to do so since 2010. This set of changes was outlined by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz who made it clear that the amount of time spent on these amendments should effectively underline their importance. A follow-up letter after the initial announcement was made created a list of easy-to-understand language surrounding the most significant changes and updates to the COPPA Rule.
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Was Google’s FTC antitrust escape scuttled by Euro stringency?
Google‘s chance of an easy escape from US antitrust punishment was scuppered by the promise of a significantly tougher stance by European regulators, it’s claimed, with a prospective “verbal promise” to the FTC suddenly deemed insufficient. The search giant had been poised to agree a series of voluntary concessions in the US, much to the chagrin of rivals like Microsoft, when the proposed deal fell flat; according to Politico‘s sources, the FTC came under a “barrage of criticism” from involved parties appalled that the EU was likely to insist on a binding agreement to Google’s future behavior in Europe.
FTC Child Online Privacy Laws expand to Social Networks and Apps galore
Back in 1998, Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and just this week they're updating it for the first time to expand and keep up with the massive amount of changes that have occurred between then and now. The new set of rules comes down after weeks (and months and years) of deliberation and lobbying and generally have to do with kid-specific apps as well as general social networking environments of all kinds collecting photos, videos, and the tracking of children in many ways. These rules are a slight departure, it would seem, from an earlier set of proposals from August of this year which included more strict regulation on "plug-ins" like the Facebook "like" button.
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FTC’s investigation into Google likely pushed into 2013, sources say
Google has been on the FTC's radar for quite some time now, with the agency looking into multiple areas of the company. One of the investigations concerns Google's search practices, with claims that it is unfairly skewing search results in its favor to the detriment of its competition. The FTC has been looking into the matter, with reports surfacing not too long ago that it would be settling the issue with Google by the end of the year. Originally, the matter was to be settled by the end of the month, but now it looks like that may get pushed into early 2013.
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Google enrages rivals with rumored FTC antitrust escape plan
Google is near a US antitrust settlement which would see the search giant escape without penalty or punishment, insiders claim, conceding greater transparency and agreeing not to scrape content for its index. The deal would give advertisers the tools to compare Google advertising campaigns with how those run through other search sites performed, two sources close to the matter tell Bloomberg, in addition to including written assurances from Google that it would not copy the content of other sites without their prior permission.
Google and FTC close to settling patent case, sources say
Google has been dealing with the FTC quite a bit this year concerning multiple issues, one of which is patents. According to the FTC, Google breached antitrust law by trying to prevent competitors from using certain essential tech patents that it owns. Now it seems the tech company and the government agency are close to settling the matter, according to three sources who are "familiar with the matter."
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Mobbles wobbles: Kid game developer pulls app after FTC privacy row
Kids' game maker Mobbles has pulled its mobile titles in a preemptive defense against FTC investigation, having been unofficially informed that its software is among 200 titles accused of storing information on child players without parental approval. The FTC confirmed it would begin a probe into kid apps on Monday, but did not specifically name the titles it would be looking at. "We have elected to take our app temporarily offline in order to focus on [privacy] objectives and ways that we can continue to improve on all fronts" Mobbles said in a statement on its site today, claiming not to have yet been approached by the FTC regarding online privacy complaints.
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FTC investigating app developers for suspected child privacy violations
For a lot of parents, having a selection of apps made specifically for children on hand is a godsend, as they give children something safe and perhaps educational to occupy their time with. We're finding out today that some of these apps may not be safe as some think though, with the FTC now launching an investigation of a number of developers who make apps geared toward kids. The investigation is based on an FTC report that says app developers aren't taking the security of children as seriously as they should.
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SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 20, 2012
Welcome to Tuesday evening everyone! Today we found out that shipping times for the iPhone 5 have gone down to two weeks, which should be good news for those who have been waiting to get their hands on one. HP announced that Autonomy's "serious accounting improprieties" have left it with a whopping $8.8 billion bill, while afterward insiders were saying that HP never wanted to close on the Autonomy deal in the first place.
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FTC may not have enough evidence to hit Google with antitrust charges
A couple weeks back, we heard the FTC may be close to making a decision on whether or not it wants to take Google to court over claims of anti-competitive behavior. If a new report from Bloomberg is to be believed, however, the FTC may have a problem actually hitting Google with antitrust charges due to a lack of evidence. If that's true, then Google may just be able to get out of this whole thing without ending up in court.
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