Antitrust Policy archive - The Capitol Forum

Brussels Readies Google Antitrust Penalty as Breakup Pressure Mounts

The European Commission has had a decision ready for months to fine Google (GOOG) over alleged abuses in its advertising technology business, three people with direct knowledge of the matter told The Capitol...

Jul 01, 2025 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: Google’s Search Redesigns Spark Criticism; Ireland’s Regulator Hires More Staff Amid Surge in Tech Complaints

Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, written by Europe Executive Editor Javier Espinoza and Senior Correspondents Charley Connor, Vesela Gladicheva and Lydia O’Neal. This week, Google is up for a grilling over its compliance with the EU’s digital antitrust regime and the Irish...

Jul 01, 2025 Read Now >

EU Competition Chief says Bloc ‘Won’t Compromise Sovereignty’ in Talks with U.S., Criticizes American Big Tech Crackdown

European Commission competition chief Teresa Ribera dismissed reports that the EU might water down its digital antitrust rules in trade negotiations with the U.S. and criticized America’s own effort to rein in the power of Big Tech as slower and less effective than the bloc’s regime....

Jun 30, 2025 Read Now >

Omnicom/Interpublic: EC, CMA Reviews Set to Grapple with Truncated FTC Investigation, Novel Theory of Harm, Behavioral Remedies

The FTC’s move this week to clear Omnicom’s (OMC) proposed acquisition of advertising holding company rival Interpublic (IPG) through a truncated process culminating in an unusual complaint and consent order places European competition enforcers in unfamiliar, and largely...

Jun 27, 2025 Read Now >

FTC Staff Set to Vacate Constitution Center, Move to GAO Building by Year End

FTC staff are poised to depart their current Constitution Center offices for the U.S. Government Accountability Office building by the end of the year, sources familiar with the matter...

Jun 27, 2025 Read Now >

EU Scrutinizing Google’s AI Summaries for Potential Digital Rules Breaches

The European Commission is asking industry players about Google’s (GOOG) integration of artificial intelligence features into its search engine as the EU builds up pressure on Big Tech firms to fall in line with its digital antitrust...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Apple Offering Last-Minute Steering Revamp in Bid to Dodge More EU Fines Under Digital Rules

Apple (AAPL) is preparing to offer changes to its rules for developers in Europe as soon as Thursday to avoid additional fines over its restrictions on apps seeking to steer users to promotions outside of its App Store, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

‘Just Get on with It’: Growing Frustrations with EC’s Digital Rules Rollout

As the European Commission begins hearings on Big Tech’s compliance with the bloc’s digital antitrust rules, critics say the law is triggering unintended consequences and that the regulator has been too slow and soft when policing some of the world’s most powerful...

Jun 20, 2025 Read Now >

Under EU Pressure, Google Revamps Travel Search Page to Avoid Antitrust Fines

Google (GOOG) has proposed a new design of its search results page for travel queries in an attempt to dodge fines under the EU’s digital antitrust rules, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The Alphabet unit is also planning to...

Jun 19, 2025 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: CMA Signals Strong Enforcement Ahead of Apple, Google Digital Markets Rulings; Regulators to Eye Meta/Scale AI for Extra Scrutiny

The European Antitrust Agenda: CMA Signals Strong Enforcement Ahead of Apple, Google Digital Markets Rulings; Regulators to Eye Meta/Scale AI for Extra Scrutiny Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, written by Europe Executive Editor Javier Espinoza and Senior Correspondents Charley...

Jun 17, 2025 Read Now >

Draft Report: EC Says Boosting Scale of Defense Sector Crucial for Competitiveness

The European Union is seeking to boost its defense competitiveness by removing legal and bureaucratic barriers, stimulating investment, and making the sector more self-reliant, according to a draft communication obtained by The Capitol...

Jun 17, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: SAMR Warns of Risks in Semiconductor Materials, Patent Database Sectors; HKCC Ends Auto-Fuel Supplier Probe; Japanese Regulator Releases Generative AI Findings; KTFC Fines Temu

SAMR flags antitrust risks in semiconductor materials, patent database sectors. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the antitrust authority, warned in its annual report of potential risks in the semiconductor materials and patent database service provider sectors,...

Jun 16, 2025 Read Now >

Mars/Kellanova Faces Key EU State-of-Play Meeting This Week, Sources Say

Representatives for Mars and Kellanova (K) are set to meet with European Commission officials this week for a critical discussion that could help the enforcer decide whether to clear the companies’ $36 billion proposed merger in phase 1 or push it to an in-depth investigation, according...

Jun 10, 2025 Read Now >

FTC Advertising Collusion CIDs Target Nonprofits, Raising Jurisdictional Questions

The FTC Bureau of Competition’s move last month to issue lengthy civil investigative demands (CIDs) to more than a dozen media tracking and advertising organizations—many organized as nonprofits—raises a host of important...

Jun 10, 2025 Read Now >

Visa, Mastercard Probe: EU Should Enforce Fair Fee Split, Terminal Provider Says

The European Commission should force Visa (V) and Mastercard (M) to make banks, card terminal providers and retailers pay their fair share of fees to break the stronghold of the two giant credit card...

Jun 04, 2025 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: EC Appetite Grows for In-Depth Probes; EU Courts to Hear Major Big Tech Appeals

Brussels hungry for phase 2 reviews. With just one in-depth merger investigation opened so far this year, the European Commission is signaling a renewed appetite for phase 2 investigations, according to sources familiar with the commission’s thinking. “The bar is very low” to...

Jun 03, 2025 Read Now >

USTR Fees on Chinese Ships Likely to Lead to Increase in Orders for Korean, Japanese, and European Shipbuilders, Experts Say; Shipping Industry Cartel Could Raise Prices, Increase Profits

New fees on Chinese ships proposed by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are likely to raise freight prices but are unlikely to generate significant revenue as companies will have multiple strategies available to avoid the fees, according to experts and industry members. ...

Jun 03, 2025 Read Now >

EC Sees Digital as ‘Core’ to Boost Competitiveness: Draft Report

The European Commission plans to boost its digital influence as part of a broader push to sharpen its competitiveness and compete against China and the U.S., according to a confidential draft strategy seen by The Capitol Forum. The draft, and its annex, outline a sweeping plan… The...

Jun 02, 2025 Read Now >

Bancorp: Struggling Biotech Firm Steps in as Prospective Buyer of Foreclosed Aubrey Multifamily Property After Original Purchaser Twice Delayed Purchase

After The Bancorp (TBBK) failed to offload a 436-unit multifamily foreclosed property in Houston to the original prospective buyer, an unlikely purchaser—a flailing biotech firm—has acquired the right to close the...

May 29, 2025 Read Now >

Financials Friday: Flagstone’s Nonperforming Loan Level Referred to as ‘Frightening’; Crypto Threats Result in Democratic Support for Stablecoin Bill; Appeal to Vacate Real Estate Price-Fixing Settlement Alleges Widespread Circumvention as New Study Shows Commissions Remain High

Flagstar’s amount of nonperforming loans called “frightening.” U.S. banks reported billions more dollars in loans have gone 90 days or more without a payment, according to first-quarter data. These loans, categorized as “nonperforming,” span everything from car loans to credit...

May 23, 2025 Read Now >

FICO: A Simple Change Could Widen Access to U.S. Mortgages. Why Won’t Fannie and Freddie Make It?

Lenders and mortgage industry watchers say a simple change to allow competition in credit scoring for U.S. mortgages could help more people get real estate loans, but government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) are dragging their feet. Veterans Affairs and...

May 21, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. Film Tariffs Could Violate WTO Agreement Prohibiting Tariffs on Digital Services, Inviting Retaliation and Complicating Efforts for Extension, Experts Say

Tariffs on foreign-produced films would violate a WTO moratorium on customs duties for digital services, known as the “e-Commerce Moratorium,” said Greg Shaffer, a professor of International Law at Georgetown University Law Center. While “e-Commerce” can sometimes refer to items...

May 21, 2025 Read Now >

Amid Soaring Hard Disk Drive Profits and ‘Healthy’ Supply-Demand Dynamics, Western Digital, Seagate Execs Tout Company, Industry ‘Discipline’ on Price, Output

Executives of Western Digital Corporation and Seagate Technologies have used recent public statements to call for industry-wide supply discipline and signal that they won’t undercut their rivals on output or price as demand rises, in language that could serve to facilitate...

May 20, 2025 Read Now >

Letta Calls for EU Defense and Telecom Consolidation Amid Geopolitical Shifts

The European Union must accelerate consolidation in its defense and telecommunications sectors to stay globally competitive and respond to rising geopolitical and economic pressures, Enrico Letta, author of a landmark report on the EU single market and former Italian prime minister...

May 20, 2025 Read Now >

In Win for Big Tech, Trump USTR, in Change from Biden Administration, Calls Canadian and Australian Laws Compelling Big Tech to Pay for News ‘Discriminatory Non-Tariff Barriers’

The Biden Administration’s approach to trade policy included a rethink of Big Tech’s role in establishing U.S. trade policy priorities. In contrast, the Trump administration, despite continuing major antitrust litigation against Big Tech, has been vocal in its criticism of European...

May 20, 2025 Read Now >

Mars/Kellanova: EC Taking Retailer Concerns Seriously in Deal Review, Sources Say

The European Commission is taking seriously the concerns of retailers about the bargaining power of Mars following its proposed $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova (K), as the agency kicks off its phase 1 investigation of the transaction, sources close to the matter told The Capitol...

May 19, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: SAMR Fines Pharma Suppliers for Price-Fixing; ACCC Kicks Off Omnicom/IPG Review; China’s Regulators Warn Food-Delivery Platforms Over Competition Concerns; Indian Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling in Abuse of Dominance Case

SAMR fines four pharmaceutical suppliers 354 million yuan for price-fixing. The Tianjin branch of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on May 9 that it had levied a total of 354 million yuan ($49 million) in penalties on four pharmaceutical suppliers for...

May 19, 2025 Read Now >

European Commission Tests Microsoft Teams Remedies With Rivals: Sources

The European Commission is preparing the imminent market testing of Microsoft’s (MSFT) proposed remedies aimed at leveling the playing field between its Teams app and other chat tools for users of its workplace products, according to two sources familiar with the...

May 16, 2025 Read Now >

Safelite: Safelite Solutions Alleged Conduct to Steer Customers to Safelite Glass Shops Could Run Afoul of State Laws

Already facing a Department of Justice probe into alleged self-preferencing of company-owned glass repair shops by its third-party administrator (TPA) business, Safelite is also encountering scrutiny at the state...

May 16, 2025 Read Now >

EC Preparing Charges in Glovo-Delivery Hero No-Poach Cartel Probe

The European Commission is preparing formal charges against delivery food companies Glovo and Delivery Hero (DHER: DE) for allegedly agreeing not to poach each other’s workers, according to two sources with intimate knowledge of the matter. The rest of this article is currently locked...

May 12, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: Indian Watchdog Settles Google Smart TV Case; SAMR Warns CK Hutchison/BlackRock Against Evading Port Deal Review; KTFC Ends Microsoft Probe; Singapore Regulator Clears Omnicom/IPG

Indian watchdog settles with Google. The Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) recent settlement with Google (GOOG) creates a path for other U.S. tech giants to come forward and resolve their cases with the regulator. On April 21, the CCI issued its first-ever settlement order. The...

May 05, 2025 Read Now >

Lenovo, NTT Data, Thales Could Face Closer Scrutiny Under New DOD Regulations, Boosting Fortunes for Domestic Government Contractors

Foreign-owned firms that are U.S. government contractors such as Chinese tech multinational Lenovo Group (HKEX: 0992), NTT Data Group (TSE: 9613) and Thales (ENX: HO) are likely to face heightened scrutiny under new Department of Defense (DOD) regulations. This regulatory framework will...

May 02, 2025 Read Now >

EC Deepens Probe into Visa, Mastercard Over Scheme Fees Paid by Retailers

The European Commission is deepening a preliminary probe into whether Visa (V) and Mastercard’s (MA) scheme and processing fees unfairly harm competition in the card payments market. Officials are looking at how the two dominant card networks set fees paid by acquirers such as Elavon...

May 02, 2025 Read Now >

Safelite: Company Leverages Third Party Administration Dominance to Steer Claimants to Affiliated Glass Repair Shops, Industry Sources Say

Safelite Solutions—a third party administrator that manages auto glass repair claims for most top U.S. insurance companies—incentivizes employees to steer claimants to its affiliated glass repair shops, and has made it increasingly difficult for customers to take their claims to the...

May 01, 2025 Read Now >

Roper Technologies’ Strata’s Information Sharing Practices, Tools for Health Care Providers, Could Bring Antitrust Scrutiny

Health care providers can access rivals’ detailed output data and receive customized pricing recommendations through Roper Technologies subsidiary Strata Decision Technology’s software tools, according to company marketing materials reviewed by The Capitol...

May 01, 2025 Read Now >

Experts Say Cuts to International Labor Oversight Undermine USMCA, Competitiveness of U.S. Small Businesses and Workers, Highlighting Main Street’s Frustration with Trump Agenda

Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign and first few months in office, President Donald Trump and his cabinet touted their ability to protect workers and small business. No longer is the priority to champion big business, they said. Trump’s policies would instead boost American...

May 01, 2025 Read Now >

Experts Say Cuts to International Labor Oversight Undermine USMCA, Competitiveness of U.S. Small Businesses and Workers, Highlighting Main Street’s Frustration with Trump Agenda

Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign and first few months in office, President Donald Trump and his cabinet touted their ability to protect workers and small business. No longer is the priority to champion big business, they said. Trump’s policies would instead boost American...

May 01, 2025 Read Now >

USMCA ‘Tariff-Shift’ Provisions Offer ‘Massive’ Incentive for Plastics Manufacturers to Route Supply Chains Through Mexico Rather than Rebuild Manufacturing Capacity in U.S.

A provision in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a free trade agreement negotiated by the first Trump administration, could enable Chinese plastics manufacturers to reduce their tariff burden, according to lawyers, supply chain experts, and an industry executive....

Apr 30, 2025 Read Now >

EC Revisits Dominance Safe Harbor in Abuse Guidelines Following Criticism

The European Commission is considering whether it should reinsert a safe harbour provision in its upcoming exclusionary abuse guidelines that would protect the conduct of companies under a certain market share, sources familiar with the matter told The Capitol...

Apr 28, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. v Google: Divesting Chrome Feasible, Not Burdensome, Computer Expert for DOJ Says

DOJ’s proposal that Google divest its Chrome browser is technically feasible, said a Harvard computer science professor appearing for the department in federal court...

Apr 25, 2025 Read Now >

PROS Holdings: Airline Price Optimization Platform Could Invite Antitrust Scrutiny, Private Lawsuits

Revenue management and pricing optimization platform PROS Holdings (PRO) could face legal scrutiny for its airline pricing solutions that, by replacing carriers’ independent competitive decision-making, opens the door for industry-wide coordination, a Capitol Forum investigation found....

Apr 24, 2025 Read Now >

Breton Decries DMA Fines on Apple, Meta as ‘Regrettable’, Says Goal is Compliance, Not Penalties

Thierry Breton, the former commissioner in charge of enforcing the EU’s landmark digital rules, said multi-million euro fines imposed on Apple (AAPL) and Meta (META) earlier this week were regrettable, emphasizing that financial penalties aren’t the aim of the bloc’s Digital Markets...

Apr 24, 2025 Read Now >

As Scrutiny Over Alleged Anti-Competitive Pricing Gains Attention, Mortgage Credit Score Giant FICO Steps Up Lobbying

As elected officials and industry participants ramp up calls for an investigation into price hikes by Fair Isaac Corporation, the company is spending more money than ever to retain its position as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s sole credit-score...

Apr 23, 2025 Read Now >

TSMC Poised to Extend Chip Manufacturing Monopoly into Advanced Packaging, Industry Participants Say

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) is poised to leverage its microchip manufacturing dominance to box competitors out of the increasingly important advanced packaging market, semiconductor industry participants told The Capitol Forum. TSMC has an effective monopoly in the...

Apr 16, 2025 Read Now >

FTC v. Meta: Trial That Could Break Up Social Network Giant to Show Clashing Views of Online Ecosystem

After a wait of more than four years, the trial of the FTC’s antitrust case against Meta begins today, pitting an enforcer bent on reining in Big Tech against a company defending past acquisitions that arguably hold the key to its...

Apr 14, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. tariffs on Chinese plastic manufacturers

President Trump’s Tariffs Could Cause Companies to Lower Ad Spend as Brands Look to Reduce Costs

Companies that are dependent on ad spend may see revenue drops as advertising budgets shrink due to President Trump’s tariffs, an escalating trade war with China, and lingering market uncertainty, a Capitol Forum investigation has...

Apr 14, 2025 Read Now >

ADNOC/Covestro: EU Sets Sights on Deal in Fresh Foreign Subsidy Rules Test

The European Commission is poised to use its only in-depth foreign subsidies case as a blueprint as it weighs potential concessions from UAE oil giant ADNOC, ahead of a €14.7 billion deal filing expected as early as this...

Apr 11, 2025 Read Now >

Trump Tariff War Could Sink Hopes for Fannie, Freddie Privatization

Trade war market turmoil may doom efforts to sell off government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as deep-pocketed private investors feel the effect of the market rout and political support for further disruption to the mortgage market...

Apr 11, 2025 Read Now >

SAMR Raids DuPont Office, Probe Likely Focuses on Alleged Abuse of Monopoly Power in Tyvek Market

Case handlers at China’s antitrust authority conducted a surprise inspection of the Shanghai office of DuPont (DD) last week amid an investigation of the U.S. chemical giant for alleged anticompetitive conduct, according to sources familiar with the matter. The State Administration for...

Apr 09, 2025 Read Now >

LiveRamp: Company Hosts Marketplace Selling Datasets that Target Millions of Americans Based on Sensitive Information, Military Status

Data broker LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP) operates a vast digital marketplace that exchanges the personal information of hundreds of millions of individuals grouped into highly specific audience “segments”—many of which include potentially sensitive information denoting...

Apr 09, 2025 Read Now >

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