WASHINGTON — Google won U.S. antitrust approval for its $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick after an eight-month investigation.
The Federal Trade Commission, in a 4-1 vote, found the transaction is unlikely to “substantially lessen” competition in Internet advertising or interfere with consumer privacy, according to an e-mailed statement from the agency Thursday.
The approval moves Google closer to completing its biggest acquisition and sets up a showdown with European regulators, who ordered an in-depth investigation in November. U.S. officials reviewed and dismissed complaints by Microsoft and AT&T that the combination would harm competition for Web ads.
“Because the evidence did not support the theories of potential competitive harm, there was no basis on which to seek to impose conditions on this merger,” the FTC said.
The DoubleClick purchase would expand Google’s sales of display ads.
