Looks like the rumors were true, the Federal Trade Commission will be looking into Google's proposed purchase of DoubleClick to see if it violates antitrust laws. This is just a preliminary inquiry, but we should know fairly soon if Google will be in the real hot water soon:

Within a few weeks, perhaps within days, the F.T.C. will decide whether to escalate its investigation into the Google deal, antitrust experts say. That step, known as a “second request” for information, would suggest that the proposed acquisition raises more serious antitrust issues.

Certainly I think it's good to make sure competition remains fair in this country, but I really have to question this whole situation when the two major forces who were calling for this inquiry were Microsoft and AT&T, two names almost synonymous with antitrust in the past.

We're all aware of Microsofts long standing on-again, off-again battle with the antitrust enforces, especially in Europe, but AT&T has perhaps an even more storied history with the term. Just last year the term was raised for them again when they bought BellSouth for $67 billion, a deal that makes this Google/DoubleClick deal literally look like peanuts.

When two of the biggest names on the wrong side of the antitrust equation are calling for a rival to be looked at for the same infraction, that just reeks of hypocrisy and bitterness. Especially when a company like Microsoft calls for antitrust inquiries over a $3.1 billion deal, and then goes out and makes a $6 billion dollar deal in the same field!

If anything, I actually think Microsoft's purchase of aQuantive will help Google pass the antitrust inquiry. If not, expect Google to call for an antitrust inquiry into Microsoft for their purchase...