The U.S.
Department of Justice has requested more information from Internet search giant
Google about its planned $700 million acquisition of Cambridge, Mass.-based
flight information software company ITA Software, Google said in a blog post.
"While
we think this acquisition will benefit travelers as well as those seeking their
business, we know that closer scrutiny has been one consequence of Google's
success, and we said that we wouldn’t be surprised if there were a regulatory
review before the deal closes," wrote Google senior product manager Andrew
Silverman on the company's Public Policy Blog. "This week we received
what's called a 'second request,' which means that the U.S. Department of Justice
is asking for more information so that they can continue to review the deal.
While this means we won't be closing the deal right away, we're confident that
the DOJ will conclude that online travel will remain competitive after this
acquisition closes."
Google
announced the ITA Software acquisition on July 1, and though its executives
outlined post-merger plans only broadly, the company said it had no intention
of distributing airfares or selling inventory.