The decision reflects the first steps in what could become a wide-ranging probe into the company's business practices. , which has said healthy and thriving markets are in everyone's interest, declined to comment on the potential probe. The Justice Department and FTC also declined comment. "If there were a clearance fight over a Google investigation — this is such a big matter that whoever won the clearance fight would almost certainly be opening an investigation," said Michael Kades, a former FTC antitrust attorney. Still, just because DOJ is taking on responsibility for Google's oversight does not mean an investigation has been opened or that the agency is imminently poised to act against Google, said Gene Kimmelman, a former Justice Department antitrust official.

Source: CNN June 01, 2019 19:05 UTC