Microsoft Goes Incognito to Attack Google

(NEWSER) - Google’s latest project, a Web-based lightweight OS to rival Windows, sounds pretty cool at first. “But that’s why you should be worried,” writes David Lazarus of the Los Angeles Times. The search giant has simply become too powerful for comfort. “Google accounts for an ungodly share of the money that flows through the Web,” says the antitrust lawyer who spearheaded the case against Microsoft. “That creates a lot of concern.” More»

Google Has Good Product, But It's Also a Monopoly

(NEWSER) - The government is finally getting wise to the fact that Google holds a monopoly on Internet advertising, and has launched two antitrust investigations, Therese Poletti writes for MarketWatch. Google is “becoming almost a privatized version of the dreaded Big Brother from George Orwell's 1984,” Poletti writes, worse even than the threat Microsoft posed in the 1990s. But satisfied users might not care. More»

Regulators cite Yahoo, AOL, and Microsoft as 'credible' competitors

(NEWSER) - Google acquired ad tracker DoubleClick today after EU regulators approved the $3.1 billion deal, the AP reports. Antitrust officials dismissed concerns about competition, saying Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL also provide “credible” online ad services. The ruling ducked questions of how private data will be handled, an issue that riles privacy advocates on both sides of the pond. More»

Its shares off 40% since November, 'the shine is off' search behemoth

(NEWSER) - After a hitting record high in November, Google shares have fallen 40%, reports the Los Angeles Times. Investors are concerned that a downturn in consumer spending could slow Google's growth—previously thought to be recession-proof. "Now the shine is off Google, whether deservedly or not," one media analyst said of the pioneering search giant. More»

Deal to go forward despite months of antitrust and privacy opposition

(NEWSER) - The FTC voted 4-1 to approve Google’s purchase of DoubleClick, despite months of lobbying against the deal on privacy and antitrust grounds. The commissioners concluded that the deal "is unlikely to substantially lessen competition,” PC World reports. The $3.1-billion deal has been fought tooth and nail by Microsoft and other competitors since the search-ads leader revealed its agreement to buy the display-ads leader in April. More»