If there was any doubt about whether or not Google is under the antitrust microscope, it has been erased by news that antitrust regulators may try to break up interlocking directors at Google and Apple.This is now the fourth real or threatened antitrust action against Google in just a year, suggesting that regulators are itching to pull the trigger. Last year, the Justice Department already had drafted a complaint and was minutes from filing suit when Google (wisely) dropped its plan to handle some of Yahoo’s Internet ad placements. Google was finally allowed to acquire DoubleClick, the online-ad company, but only after extensive antitrust investigations both in the U.S. and Europe delayed the deal and allowed competitors to streak ahead. Today, Google remains a distant sixth in online display ads, behind Yahoo, Microsoft and even AOL, according to Internet-information provider ComScore. So much for market dominance.
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