Six weeks after serving Google with broad subpoenas, Federal Trade Commission lawyers and several state attorneys general are focusing their investigation of Google, reports The Wall Street Journal. For one thing, they have been asking whether Google prevents smartphone manufacturers that use its Android operating system from using competitors’ services. READ MORE
The FTC has begun an inquiry into Twitter. Although the specifics are not clear, it might have something to do with the company’s recent moves toward greater control of its platform. The FTC as a matter of routine, examines companies to ensure compliance with anti-competitive rules, but generally “after receiving allegations from rivals,” says The Wall Street Journal’s Amir Efrati. READ MORE
If you think your blog could never get you into trouble, you might think again says Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, an online legal document filing service. Writing for Mashable, Alkalp says self-employed or self-starting bloggers need to think about liability concerns. What if you unintentionally plagiarize someone’s work? Or maybe you end up writing about a mobile phone prototype left at a bar? What if you can’t pay your vendors? What happens if you’re fined by the FTC or named in a class-action lawsuit for positively reviewing a defective product? READ MORE
