Peter Scharr, the head of an EU group preparing a report on Internet companies’ privacy practices, told the hearing that IP addresses should be regarded as personal data. Google collects IP addresses, it says, to improve search results and to show Internet advertisers that they’re paying for legitimate click-throughs.
Despite strong concerns about Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, European Commission regulators are likely to approve the deal. For one thing, historical precedent strongly suggests the EC will approve the deal. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission voted 4-1 in December in favor of allowing the acquisition; in six years, the EC has never disapproved of a merger of American companies that the FTC has green-lighted. More Breaking News - EU Likely To Approve Google-DoubleClick Merger
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Linked by adsensical on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008