The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will not strain to obstruct Google ’s acquisition of on-line advert - serving vendor DoubleClick , the way said Thursday .
The mission voted 4 - 1 to approve the deal after an eight - calendar month investigating . “ After cautiously reviewing the evidence , we have concluded that Google ’s proposed accomplishment of DoubleClick is unlikely to substantially lessen competition , ” the majority wrote in a statement .
Google , the supplier of the most widely used hunting locomotive , announced in April that it planned to acquire ad serving giant DoubleClick in a $ 3.1 billion plenty .
The deputation examined several component and conclude that the two companies are not lineal competitors , the FTC said in a news release on Thursday . The means ground that challenger in online ad - serving markets is vigorous and likely to increase .
The agency will closely monitor the advertizement - serve space , however , commissioner write . “ The markets within the online advertising distance continue to quickly develop , and bode their succeeding course of instruction is not a simple project , ” the majority compose . “ We need to be clear … that we will closely watch over these markets and , should Google engage in outlaw ligature or other anticompetitive conduct , the commission mean to act rapidly . ”
Google , which faces a similar interrogatory before the European Union , praise the FTC decision .
“ The FTC ’s substantial support institutionalize a clear message : this skill nonplus no endangerment to rivalry and will benefit consumers , ” Eric Schmidt , Google ’s chairperson and CEO , said in a argument . “ We trust that the European Commission will presently reach the same end , and we are confident that this mickle will deliver more relevant ads for consumers , more choices for adman , and more chance for connection internet site publishers . ”
Google will remain committed to drug user privateness , Schmidt tot . “ For us , privateness does not begin or terminate with our leverage of DoubleClick , ” he said . “ We have been protect our users ’ privateness since our origination , and will keep to introduce in how we safeguard their information and maintain their trustfulness . ”
The same calendar month that Google and DoubleClick announced the stack , three concealment groups , the Electronic Privacy Information Center , the Center for Digital Democracy ( CDD ) , and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group ( US PIRG ) , file a petition asking the FTC to block the deal unless Google made significant changes to its privacy insurance policy . The radical reason that the combined companionship with have unequaled approach to connection exploiter ’ personal information .
The groups may look into filing a effectual challenge to the plenty , say Jeffrey Chester , CDD ’s executive director .
“ The Federal Trade Commission sidestepped its responsibleness today when it approved the merger of two companies whose new , protracted information - collection reach will give it unprecedented access to track our every move throughout the digital landscape , ” Chester said in an e - mail . “ By let Google to combine the personal details , gleaned from our searches online and YouTube downloads , with the vast repository of information hoard by DoubleClick , the FTC has O.K. the creation of a young digital data colossus . ”
It ’s the FTC mission to protect secrecy , Chester added . “ Despite the FTC ’s claims , privacy is most certainly an antitrust proceeds , ” he said . “ A key component of the on-line grocery store authority that society such as Google have achieved is the aggregation and analytic thinking of consumer profiles , including the merger of far - flung data circle and vast data warehouses that only a fistful of companies now have at their disposal . ”
FTC Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour voted against the mass , saying she disagreed with the bulk ’s scene on the direction of the ad - attend to market . The two companies have the potentiality to be competitors in the third - party advertizing - serving putz market and other area .
“ I am confident that the compounding of Google and DoubleClick has the potential to deeply alter the 21st Century Internet - based saving — in ways we can imagine , and in way of life we can not , ” she wrote .
And Commissioner Jon Leibowitz , while voting with the absolute majority , say the deal raised serious competition and privacy outcome . Those egress , “ though in part add to light by the deal , clearly go past it , ” he pen .
In late May , Google announced that the FTC was examining the mickle for potential antitrust job . The FTC can rule that a amalgamation raise antitrust number , and the agency can advocate remedies . If the coming together company do n’t reach a settlement with the FTC , the agency can see an enjoining against the fusion in a U.S. court .
Leibowitz , in November , say the agency was reviewing the case on antitrust , but not seclusion , grounds . The privacy mathematical group have argued , however , that the secrecy yield is related to antitrust part because of the competitory edge Google would get in targeting advert to specific people .
In December , EPIC and CDD file a fresh complaint , ask FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras to recuse herself from the case . Majoras ’ husband works for a legal philosophy firm that is advise DoubleClick , but DoubleClick and the FTC say that the Jones Day law firm has n’t represented the company before the FTC .
