There’s no question that Google is the king of search – and has many other far-reaching plans for its Internet applications. Problem is, the US government sees this as its play for total Web domination. Senator Herb Kohl announced the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights’ agenda for 2011 today, revealing it wants to address Google’s “dominance over Internet search,” as well as “allegations raised by e-commerce websites that compete with Google that they are being treated unfairly in search ranking, and in their ability to purchase search advertising.”
Google’s acquisition of travel software company ITA drew attention from the government, and in January there were rumblings that the Justice Department could block the deal, or level Google with an antitrust lawsuit.
Google has already been slapped with anti-trust investigations from the European Commission, which believes the site has manipulating search results to benefit its own Web properties or those of its affiliates. But problems back home will surely intensify the scrutiny Google is already facing.
But Google isn’t the only company being placed under the microscope. Senator Kohl also says his subcommittee plans to investigate the Comcast-NBC merger “to ensure that these conditions are being properly applied to foster competition, including competition from new forms of Internet delivery of video content.” The merger was finalized by the FCC in back in January, and the commission planned to impose strict terms to make certain neither party abused their business relationship and stifled the competition.
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In the terms of the acquisition approved by the U.S. government, cable provider Comcast has agreed to let online rivals that compete with its own cable subscriptions and online "Fancast" product license NBC programming, according to The Associated Press. Though NBC's shows are already available on the iTunes Store, NBC has not participated in Apple's 99-cent iTunes TV show rental model for the new Apple TV.
"We do not think 99 cents is the right price point for our content," former NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker said last year. Zucker was fired by Comcast in September. "We though it would devalue our content."