MarketingVOX: Two committees in the House of Representatives are considering holding their own hearings on Google’s purchase of DoubleClick, reports ClickZ.
While nothing is scheduled yet, the hearings from The House Energy Committee and the House Judiciary would come atop the hearings from anti-trust groups in the Senate. They may occur separately or as a joint session.
While Congress does not have direct power to approve or nix the purchase, its hearings and opinions could influence the FTC, which does have ultimate authority.
If the House does hold hearings it could provide another outlet for Microsoft to voice its disapproval of the purchase. The Redmond company is of the opinion that Google’s DoubleClick purchase puts too much of the online advertising industry’s future into one company.
Privacy watchdogs are against the deal for the same reason, fearing the company would improperly use private data to target ads.
Related stories:
- European Commission Moves Sluggishly on Examining Google’s DoubleClick Purchase
- Microsoft Lobbies Against Google Deal
- Congress Planning Google/DoubleClick Hearings
- To Ensure Online Ad Competition, Apply Pressure (to FTC)
- FTC Begins ‘GoogleClick’ Probe
