GOOGLE is confident that its $US3.1 billion ($3.37 billion) bid for online ad tracker DoubleClick will win over European and US regulators, a company executive said - even as advertisers expressed concerns the deal will shrink competition. Rivals Microsoft and Yahoo also have complained about the deal because it will make Google stronger.
And consumer advocates worry about data privacy and the secondary impact on media that increasingly rely on internet ads to pull in revenue. The European Union's executive arm has a Nov. 13 deadline to clear the deal or open a deeper inquiry that could take up to four more months. It would not examine the privacy concerns but stick strictly to how the deal affects the market. Google chief economist Hal Varian said the deal offers a lot to advertisers and the internet sites that show ads because Google and DoubleClick together would run a better and leaner operation that will cut costs, place more ads and help expand the booming internet ad market.
View: The full story @ AustralianIT
And consumer advocates worry about data privacy and the secondary impact on media that increasingly rely on internet ads to pull in revenue. The European Union's executive arm has a Nov. 13 deadline to clear the deal or open a deeper inquiry that could take up to four more months. It would not examine the privacy concerns but stick strictly to how the deal affects the market. Google chief economist Hal Varian said the deal offers a lot to advertisers and the internet sites that show ads because Google and DoubleClick together would run a better and leaner operation that will cut costs, place more ads and help expand the booming internet ad market.
View: The full story @ AustralianIT
I've often thought of making a poll on who has actually ever clicked on an ad before, but are there REALLY that many people doing so?
I've never clicked one in my life!!
Being on HSI loads stuff so fast anyway, don'thave time to even notice them, for the most part. Besides, adblockplus does wonders!!
Uh huh, and what's stoping European or Chinese or Japanese companies from buying up American companies? Nothing... so your point is kind of invalidated...
Uh huh, and what's stoping European or Chinese or Japanese companies from buying up American companies? Nothing... so your point is kind of invalidated...
Nothing yet but typical American hypocricy will likely lead to a protectionist economy within a few years, to stop foreign companies buying up a piece of Pax Americana while America of course continues to buy up Europe, Asia and the Middle East ... if you live by the sword, you die by the sword, you've bought up half of the world, but apparently don't want it happen to you? Your attempts to turn more countries into capitalism will continue, but I doubt you'll be letting the Chinese buy up too many prime American assests.
Always a true statement: What happens in America is America's business, what happens elsewhere is also America's business.
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