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FTC Investigating Google-DoubleClick Deal

Posted by Zonk on from the somebody-attracted-somebody's-attention dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The New York Times is covering FTC interest in Google's purchase of the DoubleClick service. The investigation is in response to privacy group concerns over the amount of information Google will have available to it via its ad service and DoubleClick. Between a few days and a week from now the FTC should either declare the all clear, or elevate the process to a 'second request' stage. That would indicate more serious issues the federal body has an interest in. Google stated it was confident the purchase would hold up under scrutiny. 'In the complaint, the groups noted that Google collects the search histories of its users, while DoubleClick tracks what Web sites people visit. The merger, according to their complaint, would give one company access to more information about the Internet activities of consumers than any other company in the world.'"

4 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. If your worried by CastrTroy · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you're worried about how much data Google and doubleclick are collecting, then just block them from you firewall. If you never connect to their servers, they can't collect any information. If enough people start to do this kind of thing, they will have to start to find a new way of doing business.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    1. Re:If your worried by rtb61 · · Score: 5, Informative

      If you want to control google run this http://www.customizegoogle.com/ on top of firefox in preference to the google toolbar.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  2. So.. who's number one right now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So they are complaining that this deal will give Google more information about consumers than any other company in the world. Now, I'm all for a healthy dose of tin-foil in my daily diet but someone has to have more information than everyone else. Am I the only one wondering who has the most information right now and why there isn't a complaint against that company already with the FTC?

  3. My response to the doubleclick deal by Lengyel · · Score: 4, Informative
    My response to the doubleclick deal has to add the following entries to my /etc/hosts file. It's most gratifying to see blank spaces formerly occupied by distracting advertisements. Initially I defined ad.doubleclick.net to be the localhost address in /etc/hosts, and then found the other addresses below at http://radio.weblogs.com/0103807/categories/rant/2 002/04/23.html.


    127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net
    127.0.0.1 m.doubleclick.net
    127.0.0.1 img.x10.com
    127.0.0.1 ads.x10.com
    127.0.0.1 www.x10.com
    127.0.0.1 x10.com
    127.0.0.1 ads.addynamix.com
    127.0.0.1 leadgreed.com
    127.0.0.1 www.leadgreed.com
    127.0.0.1 c1.zedo.com
    127.0.0.1 ad.trafficmp.com
    127.0.0.1 media.adcentriconline.com