DoubleClick is under a federal inquiry for allegedly engaging in deceptive data collection practices, including compiling consumer browsing and shopping data without clear consent and revising its privacy policy following a major acquisition. While the company has expressed support for the FTC's efforts to protect consumer privacy, concerns remain about its ethical business practices and the use of advanced tracking technologies.

An Adweek article reports that amid a pending DOJ antitrust investigation into Google, concerns have emerged that Google’s ad-tech arm, commonly referred to as DoubleClick, may be able to avoid stringent regulatory scrutiny. This situation raises alarms about regulatory capture and the entrenchment of market power which can undermine consumer protection and democratic oversight.

DoubleClick settled lawsuits related to privacy breaches, implementing measures such as automatic cookie expiration after five years and an independent audit of its privacy practices. This settlement is viewed as setting a benchmark for improved corporate IT privacy policies which could inspire broader reforms across the industry.