Feds poised to probe Google

Google will be hit with subpeonas launching a broad formal investigation into whether the company has abused its powerful position in Internet advertising, according to a story in today's Wall Street Journal.

Based in Menlo Park, California, Google has been high flying in recent years, becoming one of the world's largest and most viable companies in the new economy through Internet search, cloud computing and advertising technologies. The pre-eminent company in web advertising, authorities will to all appearances explore through a civil probe whether the company has taken advantage of its lofty position by ranking its own services ahead of others in search results and as well over how the company charges other companies for placing ads.