Google unshaken by antitrust scrutiny

If Google is feeling the heat of antitrust regulators, the tech giant isn't publicly breaking a sweat.

Fresh off the Department of Justice’s months-long review of Google’s purchase of travel software firm ITA, with the Federal Trade Commission bearing down with a wide-ranging probe of its business practices, the tech giant invited yet another antitrust review Monday by announcing its plan to buy display ad firm Admeld for a reported $400 million. It shows that the company isn't afraid of sizable acquisitions, even if it means more wrangling with regulators. Dealing with Justice and FTC appears to be just another cost of doing business. “Google is going to do everything it possibly can before it’s constrained,” said Gary Reback, a prominent Silicon Valley antitrust attorney who has represented parties at odds with Google. On the surface, though, Google may have a strong case that the Admeld deal poses little competitive threat, one industry expert said. Unlike Web search or mobile search advertising, which Google clearly dominates, the display ad market is much more splintered.