Manufacturers warn UK faces ‘tipping point’ on competitiveness Economics The Labour government has been handed a major warning over the future of the manufacturing industry as the sector battles rising costs and pressures to shift business to shift overseas. A fresh survey from the sector’s industry body Make UK showed senior executives in manufacturing firms feared cost pressures would soon reach a “tipping point”. [...]
In focus: Getty and Shutterstock merger gets CMA probe Media The $3.7bn (£2.7bn) merger between Getty Images and Shutterstock is to be the subject of an in-depth probe from the UK’s competition watchdog after ‘substantial concerns’ were flagged. The deal, which was first announced in January, had already attracted the eye of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in June but will now be looked into [...]
Competition is key to turning British scale-ups into global firms Opinion As other countries reap the benefits of home-grown UK talent, the CMA is committed to cracking the UK's scale-up challenge, writes Sarah Cardell.
Google dodges Chrome breakup, but faces new pressures September 3, 2025 Alphabet’s Google scored a partial victory in Washington after a US federal judge ruled it will not be forced to sell its Chrome browser or Android operating system as part of a landmark antitrust case. But the court stopped short of giving the tech giant a free pass, ordering it to share search data with [...]
Watchdog threatens Ticketmaster with litigation over Oasis tickets July 3, 2025 The competition watchdog has threatened Ticketmaster with legal action as it seeks information over the way the platform sold tickets for Oasis's reunion tour
UK’s competition watchdog sets its sights on Google search June 24, 2025 The UK’s competition watchdog has proposed designating Google with ‘strategic market status’ after an investigation earlier this year revealed market issues. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had “heard concerns” that Google’s search advertising costs are higher “than would be expected” in a “more competitive market”. It will also look into the transparency [...]
From fast track to gridlock: The Competition Appeal Tribunal faces its toughest test yet June 19, 2025 The Competition Appeal Tribunal is, by far, the busiest courtroom in the City. Yet, like most things, it has become a victim of its success.
Wowcher: Profit slashed after huge refund over pressure selling tactics June 17, 2025 Profit at Wowcher has been slashed after the UK’s competition watchdog scored a major victory against the e-commerce giant. The London-based business promised the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in July last year that it would change its online selling practices and hand 870,000 customers a share of more than £4m in refunds. The move came [...]
CMA must tackle Apple and Google duopoly to ‘unlock UK growth’ May 15, 2025 One of the UK’s leading left-wing think tanks has called on the government to strengthen the powers of the competition regulator to curb the dominance of tech giants like Apple and Google. It has warned that their stranglehold on app marketplaces is holding back innovation, investment, and growth in the British economy. In a new [...]
CMA to investigate Aviva’s £3.7bn Direct Line deal May 14, 2025 The UK’s competition watchdog has begun an investigation into insurance giant Aviva’s proposed £3.7bn acquisition of Direct Line. The Competition and Markets Authority said it had commenced its phase one inquiry to establish whether the deal would result in a “realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition.” The CMA has invited comment on the [...]