Antitrust experts have predicted that Google's purchase of DoubleClick will be approved by US regulators, Reuters reports.The search engine announced plans to buy the New York-based online advertising company earlier this year in a deal worth $3.1 billion.
However, the move sparked privacy concerns throughout the industry and it was revealed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would step in to investigate.
Despite this, experts have now stated that privacy concerns are not a core antitrust concern in a market in which internet advertising remains "wide open for new entrants".
According to Mark Kovner, an antitrust lawyer with Kirkland & Ellis, the FTC was not inclined to block vertical mergers - the combination of two firms involved in the production of different goods or services for the same product.
Steven Sunshine of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom LLP added: "What we're really talking about is internet advertising. The companies are in a slightly different space. The field is too open and there are too many competitors.
"It is being reviewed by an administration that has been less aggressive than past administrations in challenging mergers."
The FTC declined to comment on its review of the deal, which began five months ago.
Yahoo!, Microsoft and AT&T are among the firms that have expressed concerns over Google's deal with DoubleClick, a company that allows customers to place and track online advertising, including search ads.
