TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

America Online May Face FTC Probe, Report Says: Citing a government source, BusinessWeek magazine reported that the Federal Trade Commission may be examining the billing practices of the No. 1 online service. BusinessWeek said the probe is not a formal investigation but that regulators are concerned about possibly unfair billing practices that may violate federal law. The FTC is examining whether Vienna, Va.-based AOL and other online service providers make it hard to cancel services after a free trial. AOL also faces 12 lawsuits filed by subscribers who accuse the company of overbilling, the magazine said. AOL was not immediately available for comment.