UK competition watchdog clears £6bn Avast takeover by NortonLifeLock
The £6bn acquisition of Avast by NortonLifeLock has been officially cleared by the UK’s competition watchdog.
The Competition and Markets Authority had launched an investigated into the merger in March, with concerns the combined cyber security powerhouse would squash competition in the sector.
The watchdog said that while it found a “realistic prospect” of weaking competition in the industry, the supply of cyber safety software to consumers is “rapidly evolving”.
The CMA also found that McAfee and Microsoft’s built-in security application in Windows operating systems offers “increasingly important alternatives” for consumers.
The deal was provisionally cleared of concerns at the beginning of August.
In a statement today, chair of the CMA inquiry group Kirstin Baker said: “After reviewing the evidence in an in-depth review, we are now satisfied that this deal won’t worsen the options available to consumers.
“As such, we have concluded that the deal can go ahead.”