The Federal Trade Commission just cleared Google’s acquisition of mobile advertising network AdMob. According to the FTC, the acquisition raised “serious antitrust issues,” but these were ultimately overshadowed by Apple’s move to start its own mobile advertising network and the fact that Google has numerous other competitors in the mobile advertising space. The FTC voted 5-0 to close its investigation of Google’s acquisition.
After Google announced its intentions to acquire AdMob for $750 million last November, we noted that Google was definitely trying to dominate advertising on the iPhone and Android. Since then, however, the mobile advertising market has clearly changed. Apple acquired Quattro Wireless in January, and just a few weeks later Opera Mobile acquired AdMarvel. Apple also announced its own iAd network earlier this year, which will provide additional competition to Google.
In its decision (PDF), the FTC acknowledges these changes in the mobile advertising marketplace and notes that it “reached this decision based on important developments in the mobile advertising marketplace, particularly actions by Apple that should mitigate the anticompetitive effects of Google’s AdMob acquisition.” According to the FTC, the acquisition of AdMob isn’t likely to result in a “substantial lessening of competition.”
