FTC Commissioner Brill: FTC hopes to resolve Google probe soon

Federal Trade Commission member Julie Brill said that the agency still hopes to resolve its antitrust investigation of Google by the end of this year.

“That is still the hope,” Commissioner Brill said at POLITICO Pro’s P2012 Policy and Politics Technology Luncheon. Commissioner Brill acknowledged lawmakers’ concerns about the FTC’s potential use of its Section 5 authority. She noted that the commissioners are hearing plenty from lawmakers and others on the need to clarify the extent of the FTC’s powers under Section 5. Brill said it would be a “great idea” for the agency to develop “contours” on the authority.