Warren taps commodities watchdog to probe Google

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), one of the first and most outspoken advocates for breaking up Silicon Valley giants, is calling for a federal watchdog group to investigate Google over allegations of abusive manipulations of the online ad market.

Warren wrote to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) urging the investigation into Google over allegations of the company’s secret program that allegedly gave its own advertising an edge over rivals by gathering bid data through its ad exchange. The allegations surrounding the program, known as “Project Bernanke,” were reported earlier this year based on court documents in a Texas-led antitrust case.

“Given the power of a company like Google to unilaterally manipulate the online advertising market, it is critical that the CFTC ensures these new digital commodities are traded fairly and without harmful manipulation,” Warren wrote, according to a copy of the letter shared by her office on Wednesday.