EU competition regulators have given the green light to Google's takeover of online advertising giant DoubleClick after ruling that the deal would not stifle competition.
Google ended a bidding war with Microsoft in April 2007 by agreeing to pay $3.1 billion to add DoubleClick to its internet money-making arsenal.
The deal, which received regulatory clearance in the US in December, has fuelled concerns that it could pose privacy risks by giving Google unprecedented access to personal data.
The commission said that its decision was based solely on the deal's expected impact on competition and that it did not take into account the 'merged entity's obligations under EU legislation in relation to the protection of individuals and the protection of privacy'.
