FTC eyeing Microsoft, Yahoo!

Two weeks after the Federal Trade Commission opened an anti-trust investigation into Google’s proposed acquisition of online ad company DoubleClick, The Wall Street Journal reports that the FTC plans to examine deals by Microsoft and Yahoo! as well.

According to The Journal, the agency will scrutinize Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Aquantive – the largest deal in Microsoft’s history, at $6bn – and Yahoo!’s $680m deal for Right Media. Like DoubleClick, Aquantive and Right Media specialize in online advertising and marketing. As of this afternoon, Microsoft and Yahoo! did not respond to inquiries.

There’s a certain irony to the development, considering that it was Microsoft that so vehemently called for an FTC investigation in the wake of the Google-DoubleClick deal.®