CMA slaps pharma firms with £260m in fines for hiking prices for NHS July 15, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has slapped drug companies with fines totalling more than £260m for hiking prices for the NHS. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said prices of “life-saving” hydrocortisone tablets had risen by over 10,000 per cent. The price hike equated to the NHS being charged £80 for a single pack of tablets [...]
Watchdog opens competition probe into Uber’s Autocab takeover January 29, 2021 The competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Uber’s planned takeover of taxi tech firm Autocab. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today said it had launched a probe and was inviting views on how the deal could impact the private hire vehicle market in the UK. Stockport-based Autocab sells booking and dispatch software to [...]
Fortnite maker complains of Apple’s ‘anti-competitive’ behaviour to UK watchdog March 30, 2021 Fortnite maker Epic Games has complained to the UK’s markets watchdog today over Apple’s ‘anti-competitive’ rules, after a spat that led to the game being banned from the App Store last year. Epic took its competition complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), claiming Apple exercised unfair control over app makers. Last August, Fortnite [...]
Competition regulator appoints interim CEO to permanent role December 19, 2022 The Competition and Markets Authority has appointed its interim CEO to a permanent role. Business Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that Sarah Cardell will take over at the regulator immediately, having been running it since July following Andrea Coscelli’s departure. Cardell, who has 20 years of experience in the competition and consumer enforcement was previously general [...]
CMA to investigate Google over anti-competitive ‘Sandbox’ behaviour January 8, 2021 The competition watchdog has launched an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour following proposed changes to its so-called ‘Privacy Sandbox’. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe was launched following a string of complaints, including from the Marketers for an Open Web group, which argue Google is abusing its market power. “Google’s Privacy Sandbox proposals will [...]
Ebay and Adevinta sell British units to secure CMA approval March 2, 2021 Ebay and Adevinta have announced plans to divest three smaller British units, including Gumtree, in a bid to secure regulatory approval for their merger. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last month said the two companies would have to resolve their concerns before proceeding with the $9.2bn tie-up. As a result the companies have set [...]
CMA warns supermarkets to make pricing clearer or risk enforcement action July 20, 2023 The Competition and Markets Authority has found not all retailers are displaying prices as clearly as they should, which could be hampering people’s ability to compare products. The watchdog said it is writing to these retailers and warning them to make the necessary changes or risk facing enforcement action. It is also calling on the government [...]
Joe Biden’s executive order smoothing a transition to open-banking should inspire UK competition and innovation July 16, 2021 President Biden won a lot of praise when he issued a slew of consumer-friendly executive orders last week. One of them could have an impact here, an ocean away from the US consumers who’ll feel the direct benefit. The order aims to make it easier for US customers to access and share their banking data. [...]
Google facing £1bn competition lawsuit from professor on behalf of SMEs August 23, 2024 A professor has launched a class action lawsuit against Google on behalf of SMEs he said have been negatively hit by excessive commissions on its Play Store. Competition law professor at the University of Strathclyde, Barry Rodger, has alleged that Google has abused its dominant position by excluding competition in app distribution and by charging [...]
Heathrow to appeal against CAA price cap as airport warns passengers will bear the brunt of ‘underinvestment’ April 19, 2023 Heathrow Airport has said it will launch an appeal against the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) decision on how much it can charge passengers until December 2026. The Competition and Markets Authority will review the airport’s grounds for appeal and decide if any can proceed. Last month the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed that the cap [...]