14 DAY TRIAL // While Microsoft faces increasing problems on the European front in its face-off with antitrust regulators, it might just get a break on home ground. President Barack Obama's nomination for the position of U.S. antitrust chief, Christine A. Varney, was cited by Bloomberg as saying that Google is the next Microsoft. Varney stated, during an event sponsored by the American Antitrust Institute, that she was more concerned about Google's monopoly over the Cloud, than about Microsoft's dominance over software. Still, Obama's potential next antitrust chief admitted the fact that Google built its Internet search engine monopoly through innovation and not unlawful practices.
"If any of my colleagues or friends from Google, or who represent Google, are here, I invite you to jump up and scream and yell at me. For me, Microsoft is so last century. They are not the problem. I think we’re going to continually see a problem, potentially, with Google, who I think so far has acquired a monopoly in Internet online advertising lawfully. I do not think they have done anything other than be a spectacular, innovative company," Varney added, according to TechFlash.
It is important to note that Varney's statement on Google's monopoly being a matter of actuality in comparison with Microsoft's was made before Obama's nomination, on June 19, 2008. It is unclear at this point in time whether she continues to support such a perspective, as no additional comments have been made in relation to the remarks. However, Varney is by no means a friend of Microsoft's.
During the Clinton administration, she lobbied for Netscape Communications, trying to get antitrust regulators to hunt down the Redmond giant. However, as of 2008, she had her eyes turned to Google, and the Mountain View search giant's expansion with deals involving DoubleClick and Yahoo.
"I’m deeply troubled by their acquisition of DoubleClick, and I’m deeply troubled by their deal with Yahoo. I submit to you that this administration, although they may open a[n] investigation or a review of the Google-Yahoo deal, will do nothing. I think this is a classic area to explore, how do you apply Section 2 in a highly innovative, highly networked, not terribly competitive environment."