FTC Conflict in Google-DoubleClick Deal?

By Geoff Duncan December 14, 2007

The Center for Digital Democracy and the Electronic Privacy Information Center have filed a petition (PDF) with the Federal Trade Commission asking that FCC chairman Deborah Platt Majoras recuse herself from investigating the pending merger between Internet giant Google and online advertising and tracking firm DoubleClick. The reason? Majoras’s husband is an antitrust lawyer for the international law firm Jones Day, which has been retained by DoubleClick to advise on competition and antitrust laws and regulations related to the proposed merger. Majoras herself was also formerly a partner at Jones Day, and the petition claims she has previously recused herself from reviews when one of the parties was counseled by the firm.

Google announced its plans to buy online ad firm DoubleClick back in April 2007 for some $3.1 billion. The proposed merger is being heavily scrutinized by U.S. and European regulators to ensure it doesn’t violate antitrust and competition laws.

An FTC public affairs officer said that the FTC is reviewing the petition, and that a response could be issued shortly. According to the spokesperson, the FTC has only just learned Jones Day was representing DoubleClick, but that the involvement appeared limited to the European Commission’s investigation of the acquisition, rather than the FTC’s investigation. To date, Jones Day has not appeared before the FTC.

The consumer advocacy groups are questioning the FTC claims that it was unaware of Jones Day’s involvement with DoubleClick, and say they are planning a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to Jones Day’s involvement with the acquisition.

FTC commissioner Adam Kovacic is also married to a Jones Day partner, but petition from CDD and EPIC does not seek his recusal, focusing instead on Majoras in her role as commission chair.

Editors' Recommendations

How to double-space in Google Docs

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

iMac deals: New, renewed and refurbished iMac computers

Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display review close

If you're in the Apple ecosystem and need a desktop computer rather than something like a MacBook, then you'll want to go for the Apple iMac, which is one of the best all-in-one computers on the market. There are quite a few screen sizes and specs to pick from, and if you're willing to go for a renewed option, you can get some older, yes still powerful, iMacs for a great price. Even if you aren't, there are still some great Apple deals you can take advantage of to save yourself some money, which is why we went out and scoured the internet for the best deals we could find.
Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) Renewed -- $409, was $460

Even cheaper than any of the MacBook deals going on, this Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) might be a few years old but it offers plenty of juice for the price. That's the beauty behind many iMacs -- they last a long time thanks to offering reliable hardware and the benefits of MacOS, which tends to mean they stay fast for awhile. In the case of the 2018 21.5-inch iMac, you get a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor paired up with 16GB of memory which is a great set of specs for ensuring you can get plenty of work done.

Mobile

How to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer

The Apple iPhone 15 Plus's gallery app.

As the old saying goes, the best camera is the one you always have with you. If you're like most iPhone users, that means you've likely amassed a sizeable collection of photos on your device. However, while Apple's Photos app is a great way to manage and view your photo library, it's never a good idea to keep all your eggs in one basket. After all, suffering a lost or broken iPhone is painful enough without also losing all your precious digital memories in the process.

Even if you're backing up your iPhone to iCloud or your computer, it's a good idea to keep your photos backed up separately. After all, opening a folder or a photo management app is a much easier way to get at your photos than trying to extract them from an iCloud or iTunes/Finder backup, which requires either restoring them to another iPhone or relying on special software tools.

Computing

Get up to $900 off the Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 17 today

A Dell XPS 15 laptop on an office desk next to a monitor.

It’s all change at Dell this year with the Dell XPS 16 replacing the Dell XPS 17 and the Dell XPS 15 gradually seeing fewer updates. That means if you’re still keen to snag a Dell XPS 15 or 17, your chance to do so is running out. That’s why it’s great to see some excellent laptop deals for both models with up to $900 to be saved at the moment. If you’re looking for a new laptop, read on while we guide you through what each laptop has to offer.
Dell XPS 17 -- $1,949, was $2,849

The Dell XPS 17 remains a good option for anyone seeking a powerful laptop that works well as a desktop replacement. It has a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13700H processor with a massive 32GB of memory so it’s ideal for all kinds of productivity-based tasks such as if you need to manage many spreadsheets at once or if you just prefer to have a lot of windows open at once. It also has 1TB of SSD storage while it can handle plenty of gaming too thanks to its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. Its display is a 17-inch full HD+ model with 1920 x 1200 resolution, anti-glare properties, and 500 nits of brightness so it looks great. Other quality of life improvements include plenty of USB-C ports, up to 14 hours of battery life, a great cooling system, and a form factor that means it squeezes a 17-inch display into a 15-inch form size. It also has a large edge-to-edge backlit keyboard, comfortable touchpad, and large keycaps so it feels good to work on as you’d expect from the makers of some of the best laptops.