Waze Acquisition by Google Investigated by FTC

Apparently, the US Federal Trade Commission saw anti-trust problems in the upcoming Google and Waze deal. The search giant has confirmed that it has been contacted by the American Federal Trade Commission on the question of its acquisition of mapping-software outfit Waze. Media reports reveal that Google announced earlier in June that the company was going to purchase Waze. This move would give Google new tools for helping people navigate traffic with smartphones.

However, because of Google’s dominant market position, each time the company makes a move there is an anti-trust allegation at once. The search engine is currently undergoing scrutiny from regulators all over the world. At the moment, Google is trying to expand its product lineup and move further into mobile market. The industry experts remember that after the company wrote a $12.4 billion cheque for Motorola Mobility, Google had to jump through lots of regulatory hoops to finish the deal.

Waze’s value was estimated at around $1.1 billion and the press reports confirmed that the Federal Trade Commission had begun investigating the deal. Today it has also been confirmed by the search giant itself.