Google Power 'less Than Thought' As Ebay Starts Boycott

There was encouraging news for the growing army of Google-haters yesterday when a leading internet advertising researcher suggested that the search engine’s stranglehold on online promotions was looser than he had expected....

.....The draft report identified several companies as posing substantial threats to privacy, with Google ranking as the most hostile to privacy because it keeps data on user searches for months after they have been conducted. eBay was found to be one of the least hostile.

Privacy is a big concern to politicians and consumer groups alike. The US Federal Trade Commission has decided for the first time to include “consumer protection” matters in its investigation into the competition issues surrounding Google’s planned $3.1 billion (£1.6 billion) takeover of DoubleClick, the online advertising company. The FTC will shortly decide whether to extend its initial review of the deal into a more formal inquiry.....

Times Online