Groups Ask Antitrust Probe of Microsoft/Yahoo Combo Effect on Newspaper Consortium

The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Action, Consumer Watchdog, and USPIRG have written the Justice Department Antitrust Division saying that the impact of the proposed merger of Microsoft and Yahoo's search platforms raises "significant antitrust concerns" that include the impact on the Yahoo Newspaper Consortium. "How will the transaction impact the operation of Yahoo's Newspaper Consortium, which now serves as a revenue source for the beleaguered newspaper industry?," asks the letter to Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney from the four groups. "The specter of a joint Yahoo and Microsoft-operated Consortium must be evaluated as well for its potential impact on other online publishers," the letter adds. The groups have raised alarms in the past about behaviorally targeted ads, which are one of the tools that has been developed by Yahoo for the Newspaper Consortium members.