The story behind Google’s FTC dodge

When the FTC’s sweeping probe into Google and its search practices came to a close without so much as a binding consent order, it didn’t go unnoticed. Even the agency’s own Commissioner, J. Thomas Rosch had something critical to say. Many attributed the victory to Google’s lobbying efforts, which cost the company on the order of $14 million in 2012. The Wall Street Journal takes an informative look at the run-up to the decision, the players involved, and how Google managed to evade the kinds of punitive action that the company’s detractors were expecting.