Google finally sets regultors permisson to acquire AdMob

The US antitrust regulator has given Internet search engine Google the nod to acquire mobile display ad technology provider AdMob, saying the buyout is unlikely to “harm competition” in the market.

The two companies have a significant presence in India.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it had closed its investigation of Google’s proposed $750-million acquisition of AdMob after reviewing the deal and concluding that it is unlikely to harm competition in the emerging market for mobile advertising n etworks, it said in a statement.

The regulator said it was concerned that the two leading mobile advertising networks were combining, but technology titan Apple Inc’s entry into the business would lessen the effects of the Google-AdMob deal.


“Although the combination of the two leading mobile advertising networks raised serious antitrust issues, the agency’s concerns were ultimately overshadowed by recent developments in the market, most notably a move by Apple Computer Inc — the maker of th e iPhone — to launch its own, competing mobile ad network,” FTC said.

FTC was referring to Apple’s initiative to develop its own, significant mobile phone advertising technology after its buyout of Quattro Wireless.

“As a result of Apple’s entry (into the market), AdMob’s success to date on the iPhone platform is unlikely to be an accurate predictor of AdMob’s competitive significance going forward, whether AdMob is owned by Google or not,” it added.