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Microsoft still hasn't thrown off the yoke of its antitrust monitoring by the Department of Justice. The company could be courting (ha ha) more antitrust complaints with its $44.6 billion offer for Yahoo.
Professor Joseph Turow from Penn's Annenberg School for Communication blames the Federal Trade Commission's rubber-stamp of the Google-DoubleClick deal for influencing Microsoft move here:
It is further evidence that despite the appearance of unlimited choice in the new media environment, people's activities will be tracked and shaped by a very small number of companies who care far more about surveillance and targeted advertising than the public interest.
The Federal government, which should have been the guardian of the public interest, has dropped the ball. A concerned public ought to call its political leaders to account about the problematic ways they are allowing the new digital world to develop.
Jeff Chester, director of the Center for Digital Democracy, said this deal would leave Microsoft and Google as a duopoly over "journalism, entertainment, and advertising" online:
The once most potentially democratic of all mediums - the Net - is being shaped by the same powerful forces that consolidated the "older" media of broadcasting and newspapers.
There are consequences to democratic societies everywhere, as two digital gatekeepers are likely to control how the Internet and other interactive media evolve.
In an era when individuals are increasingly conducting their personal, social and political lives online, the corporations that control the digital experience will have a far-reaching influence over every aspect of society.
In a time when Google dominates the search market and the online ad market, it is possible that the number two and three competitors can do jointly what they haven't demonstrated any ability to do singly? That may be the question antitrust regulators consider if Yahoo accepts the Microsoft bid.
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Comments
Bill Gates: Global Criminal
Exactly what evil has Google done? Though it is frighteningly powerful, I'm not aware that Google is exploiting children, blackmailing schools or any of the other countless evils that can be pinned on Billysoft.
The only reason I'm partially warm to the idea of a Microshaft/Yahoo merger is the prospect that it might turn into Microsoft's Waterloo. What good can come from merging two giant corporations that are both increasingly known as LOSERS?
Say what you want about Google, but most people recognize Microsoft as the evil one. A Microsoft/Yahoo merger might succeed in driving more people to Google and other competitors.
Bill Gates can take his phony philanthropy and shove it.
Google WATCH OUT!!!
I welcome the move! Google has TOO much power and it is doing too much evil! Microhoo, whoop Google's tail!!!!!! Google boys must be shaking in their space boots!!!!! Fix that quality score and that algorhymn man and quit bullying people around!
God I feel great! And to think I was one a Microsoft hater! Google is the new enemy!
Go YaSoft! or is it MicroHoo!
Go YaSoft! or is it MicroHoo!
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