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 [...]
UK competition watchdog directs Facebook to sell Giphy November 30, 2021 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today concluded that Facebook’s acquisition of Giphy would reduce competition between social media platforms and that the deal has already removed Giphy as a potential challenger in the display advertising market.
UK regulator on course to block Meta’s Giphy deal November 29, 2021 The UK's competition regulator is reportedly planning to block Meta's Giphy deal as it amps up pressure on Big Tech.
UK antitrust chief relies on EU in global drive to regulate big tech November 26, 2021 The head of Britain’s antitrust watchdog said he plans to pick his battles with tech companies carefully as the EU takes a leading role.
Who will win the EV charger race? November 26, 2021 Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) have been remarkably strong recently. In the 12 months to June 2021, sales of EVs were more than 160% higher than in the same period a year earlier and were up by more than 130% in the comparable period in 2019 (according to BNEF data). So, although the transition to [...]