After 'Microhoo', Yoogle causes concern

12 May 2008

Sixteen civic groups have come together in the United States to air concerns about closer links between Google and Yahoo.

The unlikely coalition, which includes the Black Leadership Forum, the League of Rural Voters and the Corn Growers Association, has written to the US Justice Department, urging it to investigate the two companies' plans.

The groups are concerned that, after the apparent breakdown of Microsoft's attempts to buy Yahoo, the search engine may extend the online advertising partnership that it trialled with Google last month.

"We all suffer in such mega mergers," Black Leadership Forum chief executive Gary Flowers told BBC News.

The letter suggests that a further advertising agreement between the two search engines "could result in Google ominously possessing as much as 90% of the search market".

"Search advertising revenue will soon exceed that of the major television networks - a chilling fact which underscores the power of the search gatekeepers," it adds.

"In short, we face a possible future in which no content could be seamlessly accessed without Google's permission."

Category: Miscellaneous