Italy slaps Amazon with €1.1bn fine for abusing market dominance December 9, 2021 Italy’s competitions watchdog has slapped Amazon with a €1.13bn (£965m) fine for harming rival e-commerce logistics services.
FCA’s boss reveals the watchdog is having a hard time signing up data and tech specialists December 9, 2021 City watchdog the FCA has revealed it is struggling to hire in-demand technology specialists. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive Nikhil Rathi told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee that it was having to “manage the challenges” of hiring, particularly for data and technology roles. Rathi said the “hot” jobs market and moves by big [...]
Gridserve to roll out biggest EV charging upgrade in UK history December 9, 2021 Gridserve will roll out the biggest upgrade of motorway electric vehicle (EV) charging points in UK history, as the company announced that 20 electric hubs will be installed across the country from March. Each hub will feature between 6 and 12 350kW chargers, adding up to 100 miles of range. Gridserve will also build two [...]
City watchdog urges finance industry to shape up in fresh consumer drive December 7, 2021 The City watchdog today threw down the gauntlet to the financial services industry by launching a fresh regime that puts consumers at the heart of firms’ work. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) set out plans to introduce a new guiding duty that is intended to bolster consumer protections. The move has been sparked by the [...]
CMA warns taxpayers and councils face higher bills after £11bn Veolia-Suez waste management merger December 7, 2021 The £11.1bn merger between French waste and water management giants Veolia and Suez could lead to higher prices for UK councils and taxpayers, according to Britain’s competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the tie-up, which was announced earlier this year, could lead to a loss of competition in the supply of key [...]
Handle with care: Big Tech mergers are not as evil as our watchdogs might believe December 7, 2021 Watchdogs and oversight bodies around the world, including the US Federal Trade Commission, have tried to break up Big Tech, but the UK may be the first to succeed — at the cost of entrepreneurship and innovation. Last week, the Competition and Markets Authority ordered Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to sell Giphy over antitrust concerns. [...]
The CMA’s showdown with Facebook over Giphy foreshadows a crackdown December 3, 2021 You probably don’t think of GIFs and think of showdowns with tech giants. Mostly, these short clips decorate people’s texts and social media profiles. Now, they are at the forefront of regulators’ efforts to rein in big tech. On Tuesday, the UK’s competition regulator – the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) – told Facebook (now [...]
FCA confirms listing rule changes in bid to sharpen London’s edge for startup IPOs December 2, 2021 London’s financial watchdog this morning confirmed a list of changes to its listing rules that will come into force tomorrow, in an effort to bolster incentives for innovative founder-led companies to list on UK markets sooner. Chief among the new changes, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) confirmed it is introducing a “targeted form” of dual [...]
US platform buys Seedrs for $100m after CMA blocks Crowdcube merger on home turf December 1, 2021 UK crowdfunding platform Seedrs is being acquired by US investment platform Republic, just months after the UK’s competition watchdog blocked its plans to merge with homegrown rival Crowdcube. In a transatlantic deal that values Seedrs at approximately $100m (£75m), the two platforms are billing the combined entity as “the first global private investment marketplace with [...]
Smart regulations the path to a prosperous post-Brexit future December 1, 2021 So, it’s eeyore no more. Philip Hammond – rarely confused for a ray of sunshine during his time as Chancellor – is now taking a rather brighter view of at least one of London’s post-Brexit opportunities: as the global home of digital assets. Good for him. For much of his spell at No.11 he saw [...]