Google faces possible antitrust probes by Ohio and Wisconsin

INTERNET GIANT Google is facing possible antitrust probes by Ohio and Wisconsin.

Bloomberg reports that according to its sources, a state official and "a person familiar with the matter", Ohio and Wisconsin will be looking into Google's dealings. Ohio attorney general Mike DeWine is "evaluating the facts to determine if it's something we want to review," said his spokesman. Similar sentiments regarding Google's purchase of ITA Software were echoed by Bloomberg's Wisconsin source, who withheld their identity due to the process not being in the public domain.

Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich confirmed that the company is already answering queries from the Texas attorney general's office and the European Commission (EC). The EC is investigating whether Google skews its search engine results to favour its own services.

Texas was the first US state to open an antitrust probe against Microsoft back in 1997. Within a year 20 other US states had followed suit. With the news that Ohio and Wisconsin are following Texas once again, it looks like history might be repeating itself, albeit with a different protagonist.

The US Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission did not comment on the situation but Bloomberg's sources claim that neither agency is pursuing a wide-ranging antitrust investigation against Google at this time.

Antitrust investigations consider whether companies leverage their position in the market to stifle competition. In Google's case it revolves around its ability to buy companies and possibly skew search engine results. µ