The U.S. FTC is preparing to service Google with subpoenas related to an antitrust investigation, according to a news report. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is preparing to serve subpoenas to Google as a first step in a broad antitrust investigation of the search engine and advertising giant, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.The probe would focus on whether Google is using its search engine to unfairly drive traffic to its growing group of Web properties, said the Journal article, citing unnamed sources.Representatives of Google and the FTC declined to comment on the report. The information “didn’t come from us,” said an FTC spokeswoman.The European Commission opened its own antitrust investigation into Google in November. The European investigation focused on allegations that Google abused its dominant position in online search to promote its other services, such as price comparison. Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. Grant’s e-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com. Related content brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security news Gitlab fixes bug that exploited internal policies to trigger hostile pipelines It was possible for an attacker to run pipelines as an arbitrary user via scheduled security scan policies. By Shweta Sharma Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Vulnerabilities Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe