Feds vow to pounce if Google strays from antitrust deal

The Federal Trade Commission said they would pounce on Google if they learned that the company, which dominates Internet search, violated the law after reaching an antitrust settlement in January.

FTC Chairman Edith Ramirez defended the agreement with Google at a congressional hearing. She told the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee she fully expected Google to live up to its agreement, even in the absence of a court filing. "The agency will take appropriate action if Google does not," she said. "I share your concern ... that the voluntary commitments would create confusion over settlement practices at the commission. What I can tell you is that that matter should not be considered a precedent," she added. Bill Baer, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for antitrust, whose agency shares with the FTC the work of enforcing antitrust law, was asked how the Justice Department would react if Google were found to break antitrust law. The FTC and Justice Department "would have a prompt conversation about who is best equipped to" investigate, said Baer.