On October 3, 2024 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ or the Antitrust Division) participated in the G7 Competition Authorities and Policymakers Summit, which focused on...more
On January 25, 2024 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a Technology Summit focused on generative artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies to address how control over key inputs—like data, chips,...more
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staked out its role in policing the potential competition and consumer protection implications of generative AI technologies’ use of copyrighted materials in comments submitted in the...more
It has been two years since President Biden signed a far-reaching, industry-spanning Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. The Executive Order outlined a “whole-of-government” approach to...more
9/1/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Horizontal Mergers ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Vertical Mergers
Transactions and other investments in the health care industry by private equity firms are a hot enforcement topic at both the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice...more
Responding to a significant increase in recent merger and acquisition activity and concern about the effects of “merger driven consolidation across markets,” leadership at the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (“DOJ”...more
On 18 January 2022 the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a press conference to announce a joint effort to modernize the horizontal and vertical federal merger guidelines “to better detect and...more
On 15 September 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published findings from its retrospective study of the non-reported acquisitions by five large technology companies from 2010-2019 (the Report). Focusing on 616...more
On 15 September 2021 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held its third open meeting under the leadership of Chair Lina Khan. As expected, the Commissioners voted along party lines to rescind the Vertical Merger Guidelines...more
On 9 July 2021 President Biden signed a far-reaching executive order intended to promote competition in the American economy. The order targets perceived corporate consolidation and anticompetitive activity in the labor,...more
On 22 December 2020, on a divided vote, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or the Commission) issued a Commentary on Vertical Merger Enforcement (FTC Commentary) to provide “greater transparency to the public regarding its...more
An overhaul of tech antirust policy? Increased telecommunications regulations coupled with expanding telecoms infrastructure? Business as usual for Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFUIS) investigations?...more
On 18 May 2020 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in an antitrust case challenging the association's policy of limiting the compensation paid to...more
On 24 March 2020 the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (collectively the agencies) released a joint statement providing guidance to the...more
Dutch competition authority imposes fine on company for deleted chat messages during a dawn raid -
The Dutch competition authority (“ACM“) recently confirmed that the obligation to cooperate fully with an inspection/during...more
3/23/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
BSA/AML ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Monopolization ,
Threshold Requirements
On 11 March 2020 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) held a workshop to discuss comments on the draft vertical merger guidelines (the guidelines) published by DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on 10 January 2020....more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have extended the deadline for public comments on the draft vertical merger guidelines (the Guidelines), which were published jointly by the agencies on 10...more
2/5/2020
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Comment Period ,
Competition ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Draft Guidance ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Merger Controls ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Vertical Mergers
On Friday, 10 January 2020 the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (collectively, the agencies) announced the publication of draft vertical merger guidelines that describe how the agencies currently...more
1/14/2020
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Comment Period ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Draft Guidance ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Vertical Mergers
On 12 December 2019, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) announced that it has entered into a proposed consent decree with the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) settling charges that...more
12/16/2019
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Code of Conduct ,
Competition ,
Consent Decrees ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethical Standards ,
Ethics ,
Mobile Devices ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trade Associations
Read the latest news on antitrust, competition and economic regulation (ACER) in this Autumn's edition of our quarterly ACER newsletter.
Algorithms in the spotlight of antitrust authorities -
Joint study by the...more
12/10/2019
/ Algorithms ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Belgian Competition Authority ,
Belgium ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Marketplace ,
EU ,
Germany ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Luxembourg ,
Merger Controls ,
Netherlands ,
Popular ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Statutory Violations
Whilst political uncertainty may have businesses’ attention fixed, the Hogan Lovells Global Survey on Digital Regulation: ‘A Turning Point for Tech’ suggests that tech companies should be looking elsewhere. During yesterday’s...more
10/31/2019
/ 5G Network ,
Big Tech ,
Business Model ,
Competition ,
Copyright ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Digital Platforms ,
Enforcement Programs ,
EU ,
Freedom of Expression ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Innovative Technology ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Are some tech companies using their cache of big data to crush competition?
U.S. regulators don’t think so. At the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Technology Policy Institute Conference in August 2018, Deputy Assistant...more
9/27/2018
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Big Data ,
Cartels ,
Competition ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Technology Sector
Read the latest news on antitrust, competition, and economic regulation in this summer edition of our quarterly ACER newsletter.
...more
9/19/2018
/ Algorithms ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Anti-Steering Rules ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
AT&T ,
China ,
Competition ,
Competition Act ,
EU ,
Excessive Pricing ,
False Advertising ,
Foreign Investment ,
Internet Retailers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Merger Controls ,
Monopolization ,
National Health Service Corp (NHSC) ,
Ohio v American Express ,
Pfizer ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
SCOTUS ,
Single Entity Rule ,
Telecommunications ,
Time Warner ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
At the ICN's recent annual conference in New Delhi, the Merger Working Group released a report summarizing the group's findings from a survey of NCAs on their approach to vertical mergers. Vertical mergers were a main theme...more
Read the latest news on antitrust, competition and economic regulation (ACER) in this Winter's edition of our quarterly ACER newsletter.
...more