The agency said the deal can proceed without any conditions, because a detailed analysis by antitrust lawyers found there are enough competitors that offer services similar to AdMeld, a company that helps online publishers sell their ads.
For the past two years, Google has been steadily acquiring dozens of companies in a wider swath of areas, drawing scrutiny from competitors, regulators and some consumer advocates who worry that the company is leveraging its dominance in online searches to expand into other businesses. The deals have run the gamut, with Google purchasing everything from restaurant review business Zagat to cellphone maker Motorola Mobility.
“Although the Antitrust Division concluded that this particular transaction was unlikely to cause consumer harm, the division will continue to be vigilant in the enforcement of the antitrust laws to protect competition in display and other forms of online advertising,” Justice said in a statement.
“We’re pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has today cleared this deal,” said Neal Mohan, Google’s vice president of display advertising, in a company blog post.