EU Says Google/Click Merger Hurts Privacy
Google Inc’s planned takeover of rival DoubleClick for $3.1 billion would harm European citizens through greater intrusion of privacy, the EU’s top consumer lobby BEUC said on Thursday.
“The Google/DoubleClick merger would harm consumer welfare by creating a structure that almost certainly will be less respectful of user privacy,” BEUC said in a letter to the European Commission this week.
Last month, the European Union’s executive European Commission — the bloc’s top competition watchdog — opened an in-depth probe into the proposed takeover, saying it would raise competition concerns in online advertising.
Google, which uses consumer queries to choose advertisements which appear on Web surfers’ screens, wants to buy DoubleClick to increase its clout in tailoring advertisements to consumer activities.
“Post merger, Google will have the ability and incentive to engage in significantly more intrusive user tracking and profiling than exists today,” BEUC said.
The lobby group also said that the merger would place the online advertising market in jeopardy because the combined company will dominate both major “pipelines” for online advertising — for search ads and non-search ads.
“There are many ways in which Google, post-merger, could push up prices for advertisers,” BEUC said.
The higher prices for advertisements would likely be passed on to consumers, the lobby group said.
The Commission has until April 2, to take a final decision on whether the proposed transaction would significantly impede effective competition.
Compliments of Reuters
Reader Comments.
No comments yet
Leave a Comment
Article Sponsor
More News
-
Loading ...
Latest News
- Funding in Brief: $10M for Spongecell, $8M for Prolexic February 9th 2012 ADOTAS – Rich media ad company Spongecell has raised $10 million [...] more »
- Google AdMob Axes Minimum Bids, Targeting Fees February 9th 2012 ADOTAS - As of Feb. 15, Google will change its [...] more »
- Infographic: HootSuite Analyses Social Media Impact of Super Bowl Ads February 7th 2012 ADOTAS - So, it’s the Tuesday after the Super Bowl, [...] more »
- Facebook to Serve Mobile Ads in Coming Weeks February 6th 2012 ADOTAS – According to a Financial Times report, Facebook will [...] more »
- Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile February 6th 2012 ADOTAS - During the Super Bowl yesterday, mobile ad network [...] more »
- Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for Mobile February 3rd 2012 ADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech [...] more »
- Weird Study: Mobile Purchasing While in the Bathroom on the Rise February 3rd 2012 DM CONFIDENTIAL - According to 11mark, three-quarters of Americans with mobile [...] more »
Features
- Attribution Online: Introducers and Influencers and Closers… Oh My! February 9th 2012
- With gTLDs, Global Branding Starts with a Name February 9th 2012
- Rethinking the Online Advertising Ecosystem, Part One: Independent Publishers February 8th 2012
- Case Study: Social Ad Effectiveness February 8th 2012
- Video: “Build an SEO Foundation” Excerpt February 8th 2012
Spotlight
Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for MobileADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech firm Sponsormob has remained relevant in an industry characterized by [...] more...
Reader Favorites
Classifieds
- PS Technical Writer - SEO Data Analyst
- Interactive Project Manager
- Media Buyer
- PHP Software Engineer (Facebook Platform/Social AP
- SEO/Marketing Internship at Green Education Startu
Recent Comments
- News about Google Adwords issue #412: [...] ads for AdWords to adCenter and align with industry standards, adCenter has chang
- VB: What exactly makes an ad "high quality"?
- Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile - ADOTAS | Mobile2 | Scoop.it: [...] background-position: 50% 0px; background-color:#222222; background-repeat : no-repeat; }
- Mobile Marketing News: [...] Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile Meanwhile,
