Microsoft-Yahoo! pact hit with anti-trust question

Microsoft's chief executive has championed his company's search and advertising marriage with Yahoo! as healthy for individuals and advertisers because it delivers "more credible" competition to Google. In an interview with TechFlash, Steve Ballmer denied the deal worsens the competitive landscape, with "three competitors …

[Anonymous Coward]

Odd's On

The USA regulators will let this through. They are Fu*king idiots

[Tzael]

Oh great...

Erm, Google's the one with the monopoly on paid advertising, why are people calling for a union that can have an impact on Google's monopoly to be blocked?

[DavCrav]

Microsoft+Yahoo<Google

Obviouslt, only having a PhD and not being a regulator, I fail to understand the following basic question.

Microsoft+Yahoo = regulator.

Microsoft+Yahoo<Google (in terms of ad revenue)

Google != regulator?

In other words, if the Microsoft-Yahoo tie-up needs regulator approval because it would stifle competition, how about Google, which is twice as large as both companies put together?

[Charles Manning]

Going from one to one == no change

MS and Yawho both been irrelevant for a long time. They can fiddle for as long as they like without changing the competitiveness of the market.

[stizzleswick]

Sleeping beauties...

"John Simpson, an advocate with the group, said the FTC and DoJ must insist users retain control of their data, how it's used, and where its stored."

And when Google started selling my personal usage data, where was he?

[Cantankerous Old Buzzard]

@Ian Bonham

How DARE you say such a thing just because it's TRUE !!