FTC aiming to resolve Google anti-trust case by end of 2012

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is aiming to resolve its anti-trust enquiry into Google's search practices by the end of the year.

According to the New York Times, the chairman of the FTC, Jon Leibowitz, said at a briefing yesterday the organisation was working to have an outcome as soon as possible.

"I think that we're going to try to get this resolved by the end of the year," he said.

"We're doing what we're supposed to be doing - we're weighing the evidence, we're thinking it through, in a collective, collaborative bipartisan way."

V3 contacted Google for comment on the update but the firm merely issued a stock response.

"We are happy to explain our business to regulators and answer any questions they may have."

The investigation into Google centres around whether the firm is using its dominant position in the web search market to drive internet users towards other Google services at the expense of its rivals.

The inquiry began in June 2011 when Google confirmed it had been contacted by the FTC to be told it was conducting a formal investigation into their practices.

The firm also faced similar issues in the Europe, and was earlier this year told by European Commission to come up with an agreeable settlement so that a prolonged investigation could be avoided. Final details are still being worked out.

Google has already been hit with a fine of $22.5m this year from the FTC to settle charges that the company misled users about the company's use of behaviour-tracking cookies in Apple's Safari web browser.