Tech Take: The FTC Will Lead Review of Apple's Mobile Ad Business

The Federal Trade Commission is set to handle the antitrust probe into Apple's (AAPL) mobile advertising business, after hashing it out with the Department of Justice over who would take the lead, according to a Bloomberg report. Antitrust regulators are expected to drill down into Apple's recent actions concerning mobile ads. The question is: Will Apple's moves have the net effect of limiting its competitors' access to its mobile platform, harming competition and consumers?

Last month, the FTC allowed Apple archrival Google to acquire AdMob, which is designed to give the search giant a presence in the mobile ad market. In approving Google's (GOOG) deal, the FTC specifically pointed to Apple's own acquisition of Quattro Wireless and the unveiling of its iAd service, as a reason for allowing the Google-AdMob deal to go through.