Italian regulators began an investigation into Google News after Italian newspaper publishers made a claim that their content was unfairly used to generate profit for the search giant. One argument the publishers claim is that having their content circulated within Google News is a forced contribution. The newspaper say that inclusion in Google’s news service hurts readership and the ability to generate revenue.

This investigation has now expanded into Google’s primary search business.

The Italian newspaper publishers have also expressed anger over their rankings in Google’s traditional search results. Italian Federation of Newspaper Editors alleged that any organization that refused to have content displayed in Google News Italy was immediately excluded from Google’s main search.

Congress is reviewing a bill that would give the Congress’ Government Accountability Office (GAO) the ability to audit the Federal Reserve. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) has helped power this movement to limit the Fed’s power by persuading almost two-thirds of the House of Representatives to co-sponsor the bill.

This story was discovered at: http://www.politicalactionnetwork.com/2009/09/congress-questions-the-feds-independence/

US Court of Appeals threw out the cap on the number of consumers that a cable operator may serve–saying that the 30% subscriber limit is “arbitrary and capricious”.

This decision was based on the assumption that the market is becoming more competitive and therefore can allow an increased means of competition.

“[T]he Commission has failed to demonstrate that allowing a cable operator to serve more than 30% of all cable subscribers would threaten to reduce either competition or diversity in programming” (Court statement).

Investigative units of the National Advertising Review Council, Attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission are seeking to build more requirements for blogs to clearly differentiate between sponsored content and and regular content.

The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program is an an investigative unit of the National Advertising Review Council for the e-commerce industry. The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation programs are voluntary, but should the offending company refuse to comply then the complaints are forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission who will then potentially sue the offending company for violating guidelines.

The F.T.C. is close to updating its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials for the first time since 1980.