Post Tech by Cecilia Kang

The Circuit: Google faces display ad investigation

By Hayley Tsukayama

Google faces display ad probe: The Federal Trade Commission has begun looking into whether Google is using its prominent position in the digital ad market to undermine competition, The Washington Post reported.

When the FTC approved Google's purchase of the display ad firm DoubleClick in 2007, the agency said it would "closely watch" whether Google would use the purchase for anticompetitive conduct.

The inquiry is in its preliminary stages, the report said.

Apple e-book trial: U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote said during a pretrial hearing that she believes the U.S. government will be able to show that Apple worked with publishers to fix e-book prices, Reuters reported, though she stressed that her view was not final.

In a statement to Reuters, Apple lawyer Orin Snyder said Apple "strongly" disagreed with those preliminary statements about the case.

Apple and five publishers were charged with working together to set e-book prices — Apple is the only defendant remaining, as the publishers have settled with the Department of Justice.

Lawmakers urge closer look at Sprint-Softbank deal: Rep. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) have sent letters to federal regulators expressing concern that the Japanese carrier Softbank's proposed acquisition of Sprint may raise national security issues.

As The Hill reported, lawmakers said they're concerned that approving the deal could leave the United States open to cyberattacks from China.

Dish Network, which has made a competing bid for Sprint, has recently launched a major ad campaign aimed at highlighting similar concerns in the D.C. area.

Google loses bid to block Xbox: The International Trade Commission Thursday denied a bid from Google's Motorola Mobility division to block the Microsoft's Xbox based on claims that it violated Motorola patents.

The ITC had previously upheld a ruling in Microsoft's favor, and on Thursday, declined to overturn that finding.