FTC Focuses Probe on Android, Web Search

The Federal Trade Commission is focusing its investigation of Google on key areas of its business, including its Android mobile-phone software and Web-search related services.

Six weeks after serving Google with broad subpoenas, FTC lawyers, in conjunction with several state attorneys general, have been asking whether Google prevents smartphone manufacturers that use its Android operating system from using competitors' services. They also have inquired whether Google grants preferential placement on its website to its own products, such as Google's "Places" business listings, its "Shopping results" and Google Finance services above most other results.

And they're looking into allegations that Google unfairly takes information collected by rivals, such as reviews of local businesses, to use on its own specialized site and then demotes the rivals' services in its search results.