Two internet giants are partnering in a campaign aimed to share advertisement space. A government antitrust investigation is in the works.

In particular, Barton said Yahoo has resisted his efforts to obtain a copy of a document suggesting that some of its employees are concerned that working with Google would result in an “effective monopoly.”

In a statement, Yahoo said it “has cooperated fully with Congressman Bartons staff, and will continue to do so.”

The Justice Department is deep into an investigation of the deal, which will allow Google to sell some of the ads displayed alongside search results on Yahoos Web site. Google and Yahoo have delayed the start of the partnership to allow the department to complete its antitrust review.

Yahoo entered the agreement in June after rebuffing a $47.5 billion takeover by Microsoft Corp. Yahoo and Google say their deal will benefit advertisers and consumers by delivering more targeted, more relevant ads, while giving Yahoo additional revenue it needs to remain viable as an independent company.

But many advertisers warn that the partnership will leave them with fewer options for placing online ads, raise the cost of online advertising and cement Googles control over the market.

In his letter to the Justice Department on Tuesday, Barton said he is “concerned about the adverse effects such a partnership could have on competition and pricing with the online search advertising community.”

Barton said he is also concerned about the privacy implications of the deal since Google and Yahoo both “collect a great deal of information relating to an individuals online activity.”

Source: okpon