FTC head asked to step aside in Google case
FTC HEAD ASKED TO STEP ASIDE IN GOOGLE CASE
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy have asked Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras to recuse herself from an antitrust review of Google's $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick. Her husband, John Majoras, is a partner who specializes in antitrust at the Jones Day law firm representing DoubleClick. She "is reviewing the petition with the chief ethics officer," Claudia Bourne Farrell, an FTC spokeswoman, said. "We only learned yesterday that Jones Day is representing DoubleClick before the European Commission, not the Federal Trade Commission. Jones Day has not appeared before the FTC in this matter." John Majoras said that Jones Day is not representing DoubleClick before the FTC. He said he is not personally involved in any aspect of the deal, in the United States or in Europe. Chairman Majoras has recused herself in other antitrust reviews when Jones Day has been involved, the petition contended. The FTC decision on the acquisition by the world's largest Internet search engine company had been expected as early as next week.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/latestheadlines/ci_7708678
* Sources: FTC gets more time to review Google-DoubleClick deal
Antitrust regulators with the Federal Trade Commission have received an extension to review the controversial $3.1 billion Google-DoubleClick megamerger, according to sources. The FTC faced a Thursday deadline to either challenge the deal or allow it to go through. But the commission is now expected to stay quiet for at least several more days as it continues to study the impact of the proposed merger on competition and consumers. A decision Thursday is unlikely.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9833124-7.html?tag=nefd.top
BARTON CONDUCTS A SERIOUS GOOGLE SEARCH
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
House Privacy Caucus founder Rep Joe Barton (R-Texas) is feeling dissed by the folks at Google and wants some answers to questions he has about the merger of that company and DoubleClick. Rep Barton is concerned about the "intentional collection and coordination" of personal data. In a letter to Google chairman Eric Schmidt Wednesday, Barton said that at a Nov. 6 meeting, Schmidt "graciously offered assistance to my staff to learn about your company’s and the broader industry’s current search and targeted-advertising practices." But, he added, “Subsequently, attempts to send staffers on a fact-finding mission had been rebuffed on numerous occasions … Your warm initial invitation, followed by Google’s chilly response to a proposed visit by committee counsels, is disconcerting." Google was baffled by the letter.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6512324.html?rssid=193