US-based consumer advocacy organisation Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Digital Democracy have called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google's recent acquisition of display advertising company, Invite Media, for around $70 million. According to the organisations, the deal raises substantial competitive and privacy concerns.
Combining Invite Media's database with the information Google gathered though the AdMob deal and the earlier DoubleClick acquisition raised substantial privacy concerns. According to senior officials at both organisations, the deals give Google unprecedented access to consumers' personal data. The Invite purchase appears to be anticompetitive, they said.
Google formally announced its acquisition of Invite Media, a company that developed a system for real-time bidding on display ad space, on June 3, 2010. According to the company, it has been investing significantly in its display ad business, and as a result, publishers are getting improved returns while advertisers and agencies are running more effective campaigns. Invite Media, Google said, will add to that equation.
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