antitrust

Apple replaces controversial EU app fees with 5% flat commission

Apple on Tuesday announced it will charge a flat 5% commission on digital transactions in apps distributed outside its App Store in the European Union, replacing a fee structure that EU regulators had criticized as discouraging developers from using alternative…

Apple to overhaul ad tracking prompts across EU after German probe

Germany's Federal Cartel Office on Monday closed a multi-year investigation into Apple, after the company committed to EU-wide changes to how its App Tracking Transparency framework presents consent prompts to users.

Global M&A deal value surges 47% in first half of 2026

Global mergers and acquisitions deal value surged 47 percent year-on-year to $1.7 trillion in the first half of 2026, fueled by falling interest rates and corporate efforts to restructure supply chains in response to shifting trade policies, according to a…

UK clears Paramount’s $110 billion Warner Bros. deal

Britain on Thursday cleared Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on competition grounds, removing one of the final major regulatory hurdles for the largest media deal in history.

Judge sets March 2027 trial for Paramount-WBD merger

A federal judge on Tuesday scheduled a 12-day antitrust trial beginning March 2, 2027, to hear challenges to Paramount Skydance's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, dealing a blow to the merged company's hopes of closing the deal…

Russia opens antitrust case against Apple over app rules

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has launched a formal antitrust case against Apple after the U.S. technology company failed to fully comply with requirements to pre-install domestic software on iPhones and iPads sold in the country, according to Reuters and Russia's…

Apple services revenue misses estimates as App Store rules bite

Apple reported record June-quarter revenue of $109.4 billion on July 30, but its closely watched Services segment fell short of expectations as regulatory pressures on the App Store began to materialize in the company's financial results for the first time.

EU charges Temu with obstructing Dublin raid in subsidy probe

The European Commission on Friday formally charged Chinese online retailer Temu for failing to cooperate during an unannounced inspection at its European headquarters in Dublin in December 2025, escalating Brussels' scrutiny of the platform under the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation.

Musk’s X settles ad boycott lawsuit with global trade group

Elon Musk's X has settled its nearly two-year legal battle with the World Federation of Advertisers, ending a dispute the billionaire once called "war" with a quiet joint statement that reveals little about the terms of the deal.

Google faces up to $10B in private lawsuits after EU fine

A decades-long crackdown on Google Alphabet Inc.'s business practices in Europe has entered a costly new phase. Days after the European Commission imposed a €890 million fine — the first penalty ever issued under the Digital Markets Act — comparison…

Google rivals seek up to $10B in damages after EU fine

The European Commission's €890 million fine against Alphabet's Google — the first penalty ever imposed under the Digital Markets Act — is fueling a wave of private damages claims from smaller competitors across Europe, with potential payouts reaching as high…

Paramount agrees to months-long freeze on Warner Bros. merger

Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to halt their blockbuster merger until a federal court rules on the merits of an antitrust lawsuit or until June 1, 2027, whichever comes first. The stipulation, announced Friday by a coalition…

EU fines Google $1B, sparking US trade threats

The European Commission on Thursday fined Alphabet's Google €890 million ($1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act, marking the largest penalty levied against a single company under the EU's landmark digital competition law and deepening a rift with Washington…

Trump threatens trade probe after EU fines Google $1B

President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States would open a Section 301 trade investigation into the European Union, threatening new tariffs in retaliation for Brussels fining Alphabet's Google €890 million ($1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act.

EU approves Saudi PIF-led $55 billion EA takeover

The European Commission on Thursday granted antitrust approval for the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, clearing one of two regulatory hurdles the deal faces in Europe.

EU fines Google €890M for Digital Markets Act violations

The European Commission on Thursday fined Alphabet's Google a total of €890 million for two violations of the Digital Markets Act, marking the largest penalty yet imposed under the bloc's landmark tech competition law.

Judge freezes Paramount’s $111B Warner Bros. merger

A federal judge on Monday froze Paramount Skydance's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, granting a temporary restraining order that prevents the companies from closing the deal for at least 14 days.

Judge temporarily blocks Paramount’s $110B Warner Bros. deal

A federal judge has temporarily halted Paramount Skydance's approximately $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, issuing a temporary restraining order after a coalition of 12 state attorneys general argued the deal would substantially reduce competition in the entertainment industry.

EU charges Sika, Cemex and others in construction chemicals cartel

The European Commission on Monday issued formal antitrust charges against a group of construction chemicals manufacturers and three national trade associations, alleging they colluded to raise prices between 2021 and 2022 across France, Germany, and Spain.

EU fines AliExpress record €550M for illegal product sales

The European Commission on Monday fined Alibaba's AliExpress a record €550 million ($629 million) for failing to tackle the sale of illegal, unsafe, and counterfeit products on its platform, marking the largest penalty ever issued under the EU's Digital Services…

Google says EU ‘on the wrong track’ with Android AI rules

The European Commission issued two binding decisions on July 16 requiring Google Alphabet Inc. to give competing AI assistants the same access to Android that its own Gemini service enjoys, while also mandating that the company share anonymized search data…

EU prepares record DMA fines against Google for next week

The European Commission is preparing to impose fines worth hundreds of millions of euros on Alphabet's Google in a series of decisions expected next week, marking what would be the largest penalty ever issued under the bloc's Digital Markets Act,…

EU orders Google to share search data, open Android to AI rivals

The European Commission on Wednesday adopted binding measures requiring Alphabet's Google to share anonymized search data with rival AI companies and competing search engines, and to open its Android operating system to third-party AI services, in a landmark enforcement action…

Uber launches $14.8B takeover bid for Delivery Hero

Uber Technologies on Thursday launched a public takeover offer for Germany's Delivery Hero, valuing the food delivery company at approximately $14.8 billion in what would be the ride-hailing giant's largest acquisition to date. The deal would create the biggest food-delivery…

Google asks EU’s top court to uphold scrapping of $1.7B fine

Alphabet unit Google on Wednesday urged Europe's top court to dismiss EU antitrust regulators' appeal against a lower court ruling that scrapped a €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) fine, in a case that tests the European Commission's ability to enforce competition…

Google to host rival app stores in Play Store by July 22

Google Alphabet Inc. and Epic Games have jointly withdrawn their attempt to modify a court injunction that mandates sweeping changes to the Android app ecosystem, the companies told a federal court on Tuesday. The move means rival app stores will…

ChatGPT returns to WhatsApp in Europe after EU antitrust order

OpenAI's ChatGPT is once again accessible on WhatsApp Meta Platforms, Inc. across the European Economic Area as of Monday, July 13, roughly six months after Meta blocked third-party AI assistants from the messaging platform. The restoration follows a European Commission…

France says its antitrust probe into Nvidia nearing end

France's competition authority said on Thursday that its antitrust investigation into Nvidia is coming to an end, according to Reuters.

EU accepts binding commitments from SAP over ERP support practices

The European Commission on Wednesday accepted binding commitments from SAP to address competition concerns over its on-premises ERP maintenance and support services, concluding a formal antitrust investigation that began in September 2025. SAP welcomed the decision, framing it as an…

Apple loses EU court fight over gatekeeper designation

Europe's General Court on Wednesday dismissed Apple's challenge against the European Union's Digital Markets Act, upholding the European Commission's designation of the company's App Store and iOS operating system as "gatekeeper" services subject to strict competition obligations.