Interesting news coming out of Washington D.C. today around the addition of Google advertisements on Yahoo search result pages. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) (pictured) and Judiciary Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) made a joint statement saying that the deal “further underscore[s] the need for a hearing on the state of competition on the Internet and online advertising.”
In February, the House Judiciary Committee announced plans to hold a hearing on the State of Competition on the Internet. Yesterday’s announcement of a two-week trial venture between Yahoo! and Google, as well as reports of a possible Yahoo!/AOL merger, further underscore the need for a hearing on the state of competition on the Internet and online advertising. The Judiciary Committee’s Task Force on Competition Policy and Antitrust Laws will continue to explore these issues.
Microsoft must be happy to see this, which underscores the fact that the government won’t sit on the sidelines as the Internet giants sort out who gets Yahoo’s search assets. It’s time for everyone to open their checkbooks and call their lobbyists. Congress wants a piece of Yahoo, too.