Category: Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues

Mark Zuckerberg Testifies About Meta’s Virtual Reality Ambitions

The New York Times – Business:
Meta’s chief executive made a rare court appearance as the Federal Trade Commission tries to block his company’s purchase of the virtual reality start-up Within.
Masters Tournament Will Let LIV Golf Players Compete in 2023

The New York Times – Sports:
The decision by Augusta National Golf Club is an interim victory for the upstart circuit, but other troubles loom.
Amazon and E.U. Reach Deal to End Antitrust Investigation

The New York Times – Business:
The online retail giant avoided a major fine but agreed to changes that have long been sought by merchants who depend on Amazon to reach customers.
Clean Energy Quest Pits Google Against Utilities

The New York Times – Business:
Google says it can’t meet its goals for renewable power unless state-regulated utilities, particularly in the Southeast, give way to market competition.
Amazon Agrees to Change Some Business Practices in EU Settlement

The New York Times – Business:
The e-commerce giant avoided a fine, but will make a variety of changes regulators believe will help independent merchants who had raised alarms about Amazon’s tactics.
To Rein In Big Tech, Europe Looked Beyond Lawsuits. Will the U.S. Follow?

The New York Times – Business:
The largest American banks are classified as “systemically important” and subject to more stringent scrutiny. Some lawmakers want to do the same for Big Tech.
Lina Khan, Aiming to Block Microsoft’s Activision Deal, Faces a Challenge

The New York Times – Business:
Ms. Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has staked an ambitious trustbusting agenda on a case that may be difficult to win.
The F.T.C.’s Bet on Rewriting Antitrust by Taking on Microsoft

The New York Times – Business:
In seeking to oppose the $69 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard, the agency is hoping to revamp the nation’s antitrust rules — even if it loses.
Meta Battles F.T.C. in Court Over Future of Virtual Reality

The New York Times – Business:
A trial that began Thursday will serve as a test of the Federal Trade Commission’s argument that Facebook’s parent company is trying to buy its way to dominance in the nascent virtual and augmented reality markets.
F.T.C. Sues to Block Microsoft’s $69 Billion Acquisition of Activision

The New York Times – Business:
The move by the commission signals an aggressive stance by federal regulators to thwart the expansion of the tech industry’s biggest companies.
An Activist Investor Takes on BlackRock Over E.S.G.

The New York Times – Business:
A hedge fund sees BlackRock’s embrace of E.S.G. principles as a distraction, and it wants the money-management giant’s C.E.O., Laurence Fink, to step down.
Why Losing to Meta in Court Could Still Be a Win for Antitrust Regulators

The New York Times – Business:
As the Federal Trade Commission prepares to face off in court against Meta over a V.R. start-up deal, the agency is testing a novel argument as part of a strategy to push antitrust law.