Tag Archives: antitrust

DOJ To Sue Apple Over iPhone Antitrust Violations

Bloomberg News reports: The US Justice Department is preparing to announce an antitrust lawsuit against Apple Inc. Thursday, according to two people familiar with the matter The suit is expected to be filed in federal court in New Jersey, said one of the people. The US is accusing Apple, the world’s second-most-valuable tech company, of violating antitrust laws by blocking …

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EU Fines Apple $2 Billion For “Abusive” App Store Rules

Bloomberg News reports: Apple Inc. was hit Monday with a €1.8 billion ($2 billion) penalty from the European Union over an investigation into allegations it shut out music-streaming rivals, including Spotify Technology SA, on its platforms. The European Commission also ordered the Cupertino, California-based firm to stop preventing music-streaming apps from informing users of cheaper deals away from Apple’s App …

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Feds Sue To Block Merger Of Kroger And Albertsons

CBS News reports: The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, saying the $24.6 billion deal could result in higher prices for millions of American consumers. The FTC filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oregon, alleging that the deal is anticompetitive and could harm shoppers by boosting prices …

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Amazon Drops Roomba Acquisition Under EU Pressure

Axios reports: Amazon and Roomba maker iRobot on Monday said that they’ll terminate their $1.4 billion merger agreement, due to opposition from European antitrust regulators. This is the first time Amazon has ever been stopped from buying another company. The deal originally was announced in mid-2022 with a $1.7 billion price-tag, with Amazon hoping to expand a smart home device …

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Largest US Egg Producers Convicted Of Price Fixing

Bloomberg Law reports: General Mills Inc., a Kraft Heinz Co. unit, Kellogg Co., and Nestle SA for years likely overpaid for eggs because the nation’s largest producers and two trade groups conspired to restrict the supply, an Illinois federal jury decided on Tuesday. A US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois jury of nine men and three women …

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FTC And 17 States File Antitrust Suit Against Amazon

The Washington Post reports: The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Amazon Tuesday, a long-awaited move that seeks to bar the company from allegedly abusing its powers to raise prices for shoppers and levy high fees against businesses that sell on its platform. The FTC alleges that Amazon engages in illegal behavior …

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Kroger/Albertsons To Shed 413 Stores In Antitrust Move

The Associated Press reports: Kroger and Albertsons will sell more than 400 stores and other assets for about $1.9 billion, seeking to clear a path for a merger with antitrust regulators reviewing a deal that would unify two of the nation’s largest grocery chains. The 413 stores are being sold to to C&S Wholesale Grocers. The grocery chains say they …

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DOJ And DOT Will Sue To Block JetBlue-Spirit Merger

Reuters reports: The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit to block JetBlue Airways Corp’s $3.8 billion takeover of low-cost rival Spirit Airlines as soon as Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The Department of Transportation, which is also reviewing the deal, is expected to take parallel action to stop the planned transaction, Bloomberg said. JetBlue …

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WSJ: Feds Planning Antitrust Suit Against Amazon

The Wall Street Journal reports: The Federal Trade Commission is preparing a potential antitrust lawsuit against Amazon that in the coming months could challenge an array of the tech giant’s business practices as anticompetitive, according to people familiar with the matter. The commission in recent years has been examining Amazon practices including whether it favors its own products over competitors’ …

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DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against Google’s Ad Business

Bloomberg Law reports: The US Justice Department and eight states sued Alphabet Inc.’s Google, calling for the break up of the search giant’s ad-technology business over alleged illegal monopolization of the digital advertising market. “Google abuses its monopoly power to disadvantage website publishers and advertisers who dare to use competing ad tech products in a search for higher quality, or …

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Meta Subpoenas Rivals In Search Of Trade Secrets

Bloomberg News reports: To defend itself against the federal government, Meta Platforms Inc. says it needs its rivals to divulge some of their most closely held secrets. Facebook’s parent company has so far subpoenaed 132 companies for documents, including Snap Inc., ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok and the audio startup Clubhouse, and has warned that it may seek information from 100 more. …

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FTC Files New Antitrust Complaint Against Facebook

Politico reports: The Federal Trade Commission has filed a new antitrust complaint against Facebook, rebooting a high-stakes case to break up the social media giant after a federal judge tossed the agency’s original complaint in June. Progressive FTC Chair Lina Khan joined with her two Democratic colleagues in a 3-2 party-line vote Wednesday to file the new complaint. The agency’s …

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Pfizer To Pay $345 Million In EpiPen Anti-Trust Lawsuit

Reuters reports: Pfizer Inc has agreed to pay $345 million to resolve claims by consumers who claim they overpaid for EpiPens due to anti-competitive and unfair practices by the drugmaker and the company that markets the emergency allergy treatment, Mylan. The proposed class action settlement was disclosed in a filing in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas. The deal, which …

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FTC And State AGs Hit Facebook With Antitrust Suit

The Wall Street Journal reports: The Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general sued Facebook Inc. on Wednesday, bringing broad antitrust allegations that the social-media giant engaged in a yearslong campaign to buy up or freeze out nascent tech firms that one day might have become rivals. CNBC reports: The FTC alleges that Facebook engaged in …

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FB To Face Antitrust Suit Over Instagram, WhatsApp

The Washington Post reports: State and federal investigators are preparing to bring antitrust charges against Facebook that will challenge the tech giant’s acquisition of two rivals, Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging that the deals helped create an anti-competitive social networking juggernaut that has left users with few quality alternatives. The charges form a critical part of what could be a wide-ranging …

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Facebook Likely To Face State, Federal Antitrust Suits

The Washington Post reports: State and federal investigators are expected to file antitrust charges against Facebook as soon as November, according to four people familiar with the matter, embarking on a massive legal challenge against the tech giant and its perceived ironclad grip over social media. The timing reflects a frenzy of recent activity on the part of the Federal …

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DOJ To Charge Google With Antitrust Violations

The Washington Post reports: The Department of Justice is expected Tuesday to charge Google with violating federal antitrust law, according to two people familiar with the matter, finding after a year-long investigation that the tech giant wrongfully wielded its digital dominance to the detriment of corporate rivals and consumers. The federal government’s imminent lawsuit will touch off a landmark and …

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House Summons Jeff Bezos In Amazon Antitrust Probe

The Associated Press reports: House lawmakers investigating the market dominance of Big Tech are asking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify to address possible misleading statements by the company on its competition practices. In a letter to Bezos on Friday, leaders of the House Judiciary Committee from both parties are holding out the threat of a subpoena if he doesn’t …

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New York Leads Multi-State Facebook Anti-Trust Probe

CNBC reports: New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday she is launching a multi-state investigation into Facebook for possible antitrust violations. Facebook shares were down about 0.5% in Friday’s premarket, but did not seem to react to James’ announcement. Attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and the District of Columbia will join the …

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15 States +DC Sue To Block T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

Reuters reports: Oregon has joined a multistate lawsuit to block the merger of U.S. wireless carriers T-Mobile and Sprint, the New York attorney general’s office, which is leading the lawsuit along with California, said on Monday. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia are now seeking to stop the merger, which the states argue is anticompetitive and will cost their …

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