Microsoft hits rival’s deal for DoubleClick

Microsoft said Sunday that Google’s proposed purchase of Internet advertising company DoubleClick Inc. raises antitrust and privacy concerns that deserve careful review.

Executives at the software giant said they discussed their concerns with AT&T;, AOL and Yahoo. The $3.1-billion acquisition, announced Friday, would combine the largest providers of online advertising and create a dominant force, Microsoft said.

“By putting together a single company that will control virtually the entire market ... Google will control the economic fuel of the Internet,” said Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft.

Microsoft also raised concerns about the privacy of Internet users. DoubleClick uses a technology that remembers sites a user visits and serves up relevant ads. Google keeps data on searches conducted at its site.

Smith said Google would have “an unprecedented degree” of personal information about a person’s activity on the Internet.