U.S. Government Still Considering Antitrust Investigation of Apple's iAd

[MacRumors]

The Financial Times reports that the U.S. government is continuing to take a look at Apple's forthcoming iAd mobile advertising system in order to decide whether to pursue a full antitrust investigation of the service. The possible investigation comes just after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concluded an exhaustive inquiry that ultimately resulted in the approval of Google's acquisition of AdMob, with the FTC pointing to Apple's iAd as a competitive factor contributing heavily to its decision in that case.

According to two people close to the situation, US regulators have already taken an interest in Apple's actions, though it is not yet clear whether it will be left to the Federal Trade Commission, which carried out the recent Google investigation, or the Department of Justice to take an investigation forward.

Apple's latest rules for developers who create apps for its devices limit the situations in which they can send approved information about their apps' audiences to advertising services. The information cannot be sent to advertising networks that are affiliated with companies developing or distributing mobile devices or operating systems - a definition that effectively excludes Apple rivals like Google and Microsoft.

Word of iAd interest on the part of federal regulators first surfaced early last month after the company altered its developer terms to exclude analytics companies from collecting data on users, although details of the FTC's interest at the time were not revealed.

Earlier this week, Apple again tweaked its developer terms to permit some analytics data collection, but a requirement that such companies be "independent" from mobile device or platform developers appears to shut out Google and AdMob from the platform, a move which unsurprisingly drew heavy criticism from AdMob's founder.

Apple has become embroiled in a number of potential antitrust cases in just the last month or so, with federal regulators taking a look at Apple's Flash-to-iPhone compiler at the behest of Adobe, as well as the company's tactics in the digital music market.

Article Link: U.S. Government Still Considering Antitrust Investigation of Apple's iAd

 

[fxtech]

Honestly, who didn't see this coming?

 

[ct2k7]

probe and see nothing

 

[nep61]

Just another way for the gov't to waste more money... maybe that money can be better spent someplace else.... anyone have any ideas?

 

[mikes63737]

Good. Apple should not be able to tell developers which ad service to use.

 

[snsr]

Just another way for the gov't to waste more money... maybe that money can be better spent someplace else.... anyone have any ideas?

Are you joking?

Competition is absolutely vital to our economy. Wherever antitrust exceptions are permitted, corruption follows. For example, the health insurance industry in the US.

I hope the Justice dept. nails Apple to the wall for this one.

 

[John.B]

But Apple doesn't have a monopoly on online advertising, while Google does.

This is competition at work; the FTC should restrict anti-trust investigations to those instances where a monopoly exists.

Frankly, after all the anti-Apple rhetoric at Google's little I/O 2010 conference a month ago, it's hard to feel sorry for either Google or AdMob.

Omar Hamoui (head of AdMob and Eric Schmidt's new beyatch) should grow himself a pair of nads.

"If you can't take the heat..."

 

[Stella]

But Apple doesn't have a monopoly on online advertising, while Google does.

This is competition at work; the FTC should restrict anti-trust investigations to those instances where a monopoly exists.

Frankly, after all the anti-Apple rhetoric at Google's little I/O 2010 conference a month ago, it's hard to feel sorry for either Google or AdMob.

Omar Hamoui (head of AdMob and Eric Schmidt's new beyatch) should grow himself a pair of nads.

"If you can't take the heat..."

There's plenty of competition in on line advertising. Google may have the lions share, but thats down to its success. Its not Google's fault if other companies can't keep up.

 

[0tim0]

Apple

Personally, I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the way Apple is handling the iPhone/iPad. First they blocked out Adobe. Now they are blocking out Google and Microsoft. They can be arbitrary (and heavy handed) when doing app approvals. And they seem to be becoming more and more controlling.

Don't get me wrong, I /love/ my Apple products. But their way of shutting out the rest of the world for their own products (no f'n Blu Ray, are you serious?) is starting to really worry me.

In all seriousness, with this (and AT&T) I'm starting to stare longingly at those spanky new Android phones.

--t

 

[nep61]

Are you joking?

Competition is absolutely vital to our economy. Wherever antitrust exceptions are permitted, corruption follows. For example, the health insurance industry in the US.

I hope the Justice dept. nails Apple to the wall for this one.

And anyone who wants to advertise their product can easily find someone to accept their $$ for an ad....
God knows there are 20+ minutes of TV commercials in every hour here in the US....
Nearly EVERY Website is LOADED with banner ads thrown left, right, top and bottom...
I could go on.... There's plenty of competition... there's always someone out there willing to take advertising dollars from someone... Apple isn't the only game in town, they just seem to be the FLAVOR of the Decade, and everyone wants in on their good fortune.

 

[marksman]

I am pretty sure Apple is going to have to not block AdMob in the long run.

 

[Atkins]

Good. Apple should not be able to tell developers which ad service to use.

Apple doesn't.

Are you joking?
Competition is absolutely vital to our economy. Wherever antitrust exceptions are permitted, corruption follows. For example, the health insurance industry in the US.
I hope the Justice dept. nails Apple to the wall for this one.

Are you sure there's antitrust here? Hell, the government isn't sure, yet you want Apple nailed. Hate much?

 

[yg17]

Just another way for the gov't to waste more money... maybe that money can be better spent someplace else.... anyone have any ideas?

If the feds were investigating Google I bet you'd be all for it

 

[musiciscool]

"to exclude analytics companies from collecting data on users"....
So Apple isn't being friendly enough to Big Brother?
Yet our 'Dear Leader' lets Google get a free pass, to include their wifi spying, window peeping, email cataloguing, and cell phone snooping.....
It's funny, that 80s ad with Apple sticking it to Big Brother may be appropriate after all....

 

[nep61]

If the feds were investigating Google I bet you'd be all for it

huh? What makes you say that....?

 

[NebulaClash]

Do Coke trucks carry ads for Pepsi, and vice-versa? Of course not, and why should they?

So AdMob accepts an offer from Apple, but then renegs and takes a higher offer from Google instead. That now makes them part of Google, and thus the competiton. Why anyone would expect Apple to allow Google data analytics on Apple's customers is beyond me. Google won't allow Apple to have Google's data.

This is a story because every time a tech company loses in the market they go running to the government to force their competitor to give them what they wanted. The government has to investigate, but these cases of whining competitors go nowhere, and that's where this case will go despite the cries of "about time!" from the Apple haters in this thread who do not understand the law.

 

[kernkraft]

Hate much?

I can see where the discussion is going, so let me just tell you a joke:

Hitler and a bunch of nazis go to a bar where they meet Jesus...

 

[Island Dog]

Are you joking?

Competition is absolutely vital to our economy. Wherever antitrust exceptions are permitted, corruption follows. For example, the health insurance industry in the US.

I hope the Justice dept. nails Apple to the wall for this one.

That's a broad statement to make. iAds isn't even open for business yet, but somehow it is determined they are affecting the competition factor in the economy. I'm not a big fan of Apples recent practices, but the government needs to stop interfering and let people get out there and make some money for this crappy economy that is only getting worse.

And don't make a comparison to health care after the government made it 100x worse already by stepping in to "help".

 

[musiciscool]

D" Google won't allow Apple to have Google's data."

That's good. That is why I will order several new iphones in a week. If Apple ever gives in to Google, I go Nokia or off the grid.... CB's if I have to, whatever is necessary to keep Google out of my business. Phouck Google!

 

[skyehill]

Good. Apple should not be able to tell developers which ad service to use.

Exactly. Apple desperately appears to want to be the new ****** on the block ala Microsoft years ago. Good. Go after them and go after them hard.

And as a consumer, I despise Apple for wasting time on something as stupid as iAds and a high res screen when the iPhone is lacking in so many other areas that customers would use.

 

[yg17]

Do Coke trucks carry ads for Pepsi, and vice-versa? Of course not, and why should they?

Coke owns the trucks. You own the iPhone. You should be allowed to run whatever you want on it.

 

[Atkins]

I can see where the discussion is going, so let me just tell you a joke:
Hitler and a bunch of nazis go to a bar where they meet Jesus...

I am sorry, but I don't get your point. Can you rephrase or elaborate, please?

 

[racer1441]

Is there a place where we, as US Citizens, can write to voice our opinion?

I'd love to tell these SOB's to get away from Apple and start doing some real work.

 

[NebulaClash]

Coke owns the trucks. You own the iPhone. You should be allowed to run whatever you want on it.

Your position is clear: you are not an iPhone customer because it comes with license terms you cannot live with. So buy something else.

 

[yg17]

Your position is clear: you are not an iPhone customer because it comes with license terms you cannot live with. So buy something else.

I did. I bought a phone that lets me do what I want with it. I don't need a CEO's approval to run apps on it.