Mergers The Justice Department has sued to block the proposed merger of WorldCom and Sprint citing concerns that the combined company would stifle competition on the Internet and in the long-distance telephone industry. The two companies have also withdrawn the deal from consideration by European regulators who have indicated they are unlikely to support the merger. Although the two companies could fight the Justice Department in court, but executives had said previously that they are unlikely to do so. It's the closest thing there is to a standard. In a 50-page response to the FCC's request for information, America Online Inc. and Time Warner Inc defended AOL's efforts to keep its Instant Messenger system closed to users of competing services and argued that their proposed merger would accelerate deployment of new communications services.
Instant messaging allows users to send notes that instantly pop up on the receiver's screen.
The companies stated that people can avoid barriers between different instant-messaging services by subscribing to more than one service. The British government is considering adopting a controversial initiative that would give the government the power to eavesdrop on Internet traffic. Banisar believes that the British initiative would effect Internet privacy debates elsewhere in Europe and in America. The Brazilian Congress is considering a constitutional amendment that would end a 66-year prohibition on foreign investment in the nation's media companies. The move could help raise the funds needed by the Brazilian companies to keep up with technological advancements in print and broadcast.