Google Fears FCC's New Internet Powers

A recent court decision that endorsed a broad view of the Federal Communications Commission's authority over the Internet has Google and other web companies nervous.

In closed-door meetings with regulators and Capitol Hill staff, Google's lawyers have said they're worried how the FCC may use its newfound powers, according to multiple people familiar with the meetings. The extent of the FCC's authority over Google and other Web services remains unclear, and the current FCC has given no indication that it is interested in pushing aggressive new regulations. But the possibility that the commission could begin telling Google how to organize its search results or handle its users' data is enough to spook the company's army of Washington lobbyists.