Double your Google, halve your privacy
If there's any justice in the Justice department, then the pending acquisition of DoubleClick by Google will be blocked, but don't hold your breath. For those too busy reading The Onion (This week's headline: Anna Nicole Smith finally reaches target weight!) to catch up on businessy news, Google has just made a $3.1 billion offer for DoubleClick, besting an offer from Microsoft. Google is a preeminent search engine company that is trying to ooze out over the airwaves and own pay-per-click advertising, DoubleClick is the company that pioneered banner ads and click-through revenue and is a major force causing privacy erosion online. Yeah, let's get THOSE two companies together.
Between the two of them, they will touch over 80% of all online ads. Additionally, they share a common malady--they both leave more cookies lying around then a Keebler elf with Parkinson's.
I understand perfectly why Google wants this and certainly DoubleClick's motives are clear (3.1 billion)...who cares about the consumer anyway? Well, the government should. Perhaps the "Injustice" department will rise to the occasion and at least consider whether this merger/acquisition is anticonsumer.
Posted on April 17, 2007
