Despite the opposition posed by consumer advocacy and privacy groups, the Federal Trade Commission recently voted to close its investigation of Google’s proposed acquisition of DoubleClick. Opponents argued that combination of Google and DoubleClick’s data could be exploited and used to invade consumers’ privacy. The FTC considered the issue for more than a year, conducting public hearings and reviewing millions of pages of documents.
In reaching its decision, the FTC determined that the proposed transaction was not likely to harm competition or injure consumers. The FTC concluded that it did not have jurisdiction to block an acquisition for reasons not related to antitrust violations. It also determined that regulating the privacy requirements of only one company would likely harm competition, rather than encourage it.
To review the text of the FTC’s decision, click here: http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0710170/071220statement.pdf