FTC links to Doubleclick questioned

THE ABILITY of the US FTC to investigate Google's $3.1 billion purchase of Doubleclick has been called into question by two consumer groups.

Doubleclick pays Jones Day for all its legal needs. At the outfit is a partner John Majoras who just happens to be the hubby of Deborah Platt Majoras the current chair of the FTC. To make matters slightly more incestuous Majoras was a partner in Jones Day before she took up the FTC job.

FTC mouthpiece Claudia Bourne Farrell (no relation) said that the regulator had no idea that Jones Day was representing Doubleclick and is now having a word with its chief ethics officer over what to do next.

In fairness to Doubleclick, Jones Day only represented Doubleclick when the case was bought to the before the European Commission and had nothing to do with the paperwork for the FTC hearing.

John Majoras told the Mercury News he was not personally involved in any aspect of the deal, in the United States or in Europe.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy are opposing the deal on privacy grounds. They say that Deborah Majoras should have nothing to do with the case as it "calls into question the ability of the commission to render decisions that are fair and just."

Deborah Majoras has not ruled in other cases that have involved Jones Day. µ