Anti-Trust Regulators Probe Microsoft-Yahoo Deal

Even if Google doesn't object, the Microsoft-Yahoo agreement merits an examination of how the two companies intend to share the data they gather about Web surfers, said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a privacy watchdog group.

"This will be a litmus test for the Obama administration on whether they incorporate privacy into antitrust review," Chester said.

Besides eliminating one of Google's search rivals, the deal would cede Yahoo's market share to a company that still dominates the markets for operating systems and Internet browsers. The antitrust review needs to consider whether Microsoft's clout in those areas would be strengthened by the Yahoo partnership, Chester said.