Senate plans hearing on Google-DoubleClick deal

As expected, the proposed union of Google and ad-tech firm DoubleClick is about to get some congressional scrutiny.

According to an aide, the U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee that deals with antitrust issues has scheduled a hearing for September 27 entitled "An Examination of the Google-DoubleClick Merger and the Online Advertising Industry: What Are the Risks for Competition and Privacy?"

A witness list hasn't yet been finalized but is likely to be released Thursday, the subcommittee aide said. But the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that lawyers from Google and its rivals Yahoo and Microsoft are likely to appear. Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which is among the public interest groups that has voiced concern about the impact of the deal on consumer privacy, may also be on the list.

As CNET News.com reported earlier this summer, an unlikely alliance of former antitrust defendants like Microsoft and AT&T and public interest groups that traditionally antagonized them have come out against the deal. Google, for its part, has maintained the transaction would benefit consumers.

There was no immediate word on what the House of Representatives side is cooking up, but Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), who leads a consumer protection subcommittee, has also taken an interest in scrutinizing the proposed deal, which is currently being reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission.

[The_Decider]

Good news

Too bad the government didn't give MS this kind of scrutiny before it was too late. Anything to keep Google in line is a good thing for everyone. Hopefully, privacy concerns will help spur more scrutiny in Google's scary disregard for privacy and IP.

I know MS pushed for this, and they better hope it doesn't bite them in their bloated arse. After all, to play catch up with Google, they overpaid for a smaller but very similar company.

If the Google/Double-click merger has anti-trust issues, then the MS/Aquantive deal certainly is.

Amusingly, MS paid nearly double for Aquantive then Google did for double click. That is the size of the fear MS has for Google.

[technewsjunkie]

anxious to hear Microsoft cry malfeasance

Unmitigated Gall.

How about that EU Anti-trust verdict.

[JCPayne]

MAN--- if you are really scared of "Google" watching you surf the 'net

you are paranoid. Go unplug your computer from the router/phonejack/USB port. Next pull out the power cord, and now go sit quietly in the corner with your tin had on so the spy satellites overhead can't "read your thoughts".

EVERYTHING you do on the Internet is watched. If you goto an anonymous websites that make you "invisible" on the Internet, guess- what- they probably sell your info too..... I mean really--- how would you prove it was them???? The GOVERNMENT of the United States even spies on its citizens..... And when the US gov't can't get the legal right to spy on you, they just use the British M15(equiv. to the US FBI) intelligence agency which don't have to adhear to US spy law.... Get used to it. Don't do anything on the Internet that you wouldn't mind someone seeing.

[t8]

I would rather see Google own DoubleClick

I would rather see Google own DoubleClick than Microsoft. Google so far as shown itself to conduct business in an reasonably ethical way. Of course they are not perfect because circumstances are not perfect, but they are a lot better than abusive Microsoft.

Google's business can only survive if they are ethical, but Microsoft's business relies on it continually breaking the law and abusing consumers, so it can continue to force feed millions of people it's crappy virus ridden software.

So I think Google is the best company to own DoubleClick.

[The_Decider]

re

Google's business depends on being able to use its customers and everyone else data, whether that use it ethical or not is not really relevant to them.

Google has at least as many ethical issues as MS, and they are certainly the more dangerous.Knowledge is power.

[wibiki]

users rule

lets make sure that web users will not be denied the right to block ads! our rights are being chipped away by these giants!