[LINK] Google-DoubleClick Opposed in Canada

Roger Clarke Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
Sat Aug 11 11:02:58 AEST 2007


                  EPIC Alert 14.16 of August 10, 2007
            http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_14.16.html


========================================================================
[3] Canadian Group Urges Investigation of Google-DoubleClick Merger
========================================================================

In a complaint to the Canadian Commissioner of Competition, the Canadian
Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) at the University of
Ottawa last week requested an investigation into the proposed $3.1
billion merger between Google and Internet advertising company
DoubleClick. CIPPIC said the merger should be reviewed "on the grounds
that it is likely to prevent or lessen competition substantially in the
targeted online advertising industry."

"Through the merger, Google-DoubleClick will gain unprecedented market
power, with which they can manipulate online advertising prices.
Advertisers and web publishers will have no real choice but to choose
Google's advertisement platforms in order to remain visible in the
e-commerce market," said CIPPIC Director Philippa Lawson. CIPPIC cited
the US Federal Trade Commission complaint and supplement filed by EPIC,
the Center for Digial Democracy and the US Public Interest Research
Group, as well as the ongoing European investigations into the merger.
The Federal Trade Commission has made a "second request" to Google
concerning the merger, which means the FTC is closely scrutinizing the
proposed deal under antirust and privacy issues.

In July, the European Commission Directorate on Competition announced
that it would review the merger. The decision was made shortly after
European consumer group BEUC sent a letter urging the Commission to
investigate the merger, noting that the European Commission has
considered consumer choice as an element in its review of past mergers.
BEUC also reminded the Commission that it has publicly defined its role
as preventing mergers that would deprive consumers of "high quality
products, a wide selection of goods and services, and innovation."

The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party also recently expanded an
investigation of Google's data retention policies after receiving
Google's response to their initial inquiry. The initial review focused
on Google's storage periods of server logs, whereas the Working Party
has indicated that its new investigation will evaluate the previous
analysis in addition to the data protection issues at stake with other
search engines.

Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, Section 9
Application for an Inquiry into the Proposed Merger of Google, Inc. and
DoubleClick Inc. (Aug. 2, 2007) (pdf):

       http://www.epic.org/redirect/cippic0807.html

The European Commission Directorate on Competition:

       http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/index_en.html

BEUC's letter on Proposed Acquisition of DoubleClick by Google (pdf):

       http://www.epic.org/privacy/ftc/google/beuc_062707.pdf

Article 29 Data Protection Working Party Press Release (pdf):

       http://www.epic.org/redirect/a29_press.html

EPIC's page on Proposed Google/DoubleClick Merger:

       http://www.epic.org/privacy/ftc/google/

Federal Trade Commission, Press Release: FTC to Host Town Hall to
Examine Privacy Issues and Online Behavioral Advertising (Aug. 6, 2007):

       http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/08/ehavioral.shtm

========================================================================

-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW



More information about the Link mailing list