FTC Clears Google DoubleClick Deal

The Federal Trade Commission approved Google's intended purchase of DoubleClick. This clears all but one major hurdle for Google. The European Commission still must approve the deal, and that's not a given. There are still strong forces opposed to the merger.

Meanwhile, it surely chaps Google's hide to see that both Yahoo! and Microsoft made similar purchases that closed fairly quickly. Google mentioned the acquisitions from competitors in their press release today, citing them as examples of strong competition in the online advertising marketplace.

• Google Announces Deal to Purchase DoubleClick