Google-DoubleClick Deal Examined

Google is set to go before House and Senate committees over its deal.

Google is likely to find itself up before both House and Senate subcommittees over its acquisition of DoubleClick. The deal is already under scrutiny by federal antitrust legislators.

Google bought Doubleclick for $3.1 billion in April, and immediately other companies, including Microsoft, began complaining that the new company would limit online ad competition. They were quickly joined by privacy groups, and then in May the FTC began an investigation.

Now the Senate Judiciary Committee is planning a hearing into the deal and the overall online ad market. On top of that, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection, Illinois Congressman Bobby L. Rush, has announced he also plans a hearing into the deal and the competitive and privacy issues it raises. He wrote to the FTC:

“There is widespread concern about the proposed merger between Google and DoubleClick that the Federal Trade Commission currently is reviewing. I share these concerns and am writing tonotify you that the subcommittee is considering holding a hearing when an appropriate date becomes available.”   So far, no date has been set for any hearing, and Google hasn’tresponded directly, although the company has stated it doesn’t believe the deal will affect competition in the industry.