US regulator cites Apple as it clears Google's AdMob buy

Apple last week inadvertently made a crucial contribution to Google getting the green light for its $750m (£518m) takeover of AdMob, the mobile advertising group. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cleared Google's acquisition on Friday, concluding it was "unlikely to harm competition in the emerging market for mobile advertising networks".

The US regulator said the deal had raised serious antitrust issues, but that those concerns had been overshadowed by recent developments in the market, "most notably a move by Apple... to launch its own, competing mobile ad network".

Apple bought Quattro Wireless in January and used it to launch its iAd service. The FTC added that Apple "can leverage its close relationships with application developers and users, its access to a large amount of proprietary user data, and its ownership of iPhone software development tools and control over the iPhone developers' licence agreement".

AdMob mobile advertising platform carries more than 8.5bn banner and text ads monthly.