Amazon and Google hit with competition probe over fake reviews June 25, 2021 Amazon and Google have been hit with a competition probe in the UK over concerns they have not done enough to tackle fake reviews on their sites. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today opened a formal investigation into the tech platforms to examine whether they have broken consumer laws by taking insufficient action to [...]
UK competition watchdog investigating ‘immediate’ government action on PCR test prices August 13, 2021 The UK competition regulator has said it is exploring what immediate action the government can take to quash the hugely variable prices charged by private providers of Covid PCR tests for travel, after the health secretary, MPs and the travel industry called for an intervention. In a statement published yesterday, the Competition and Markets Authority [...]
UK antitrust chief relies on EU in global drive to regulate big tech November 26, 2021 The head of Britain’s antitrust watchdog said he plans to pick his battles with tech companies carefully as the EU takes a leading role.
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile today? December 17, 2021 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every morning. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Carzam Online used car business Carzam’s has appointed Paddy Power’s former boss as a new executive chairman. Andy McCue, who spent a decade with the gaming and betting giant, was also CEO of The Restaurant Group during [...]
Crackdowns on tech mergers will only serve to deter British entrepreneurs October 18, 2021 What if Facebook had never bought Instagram? This question keeps competition regulators like the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) up at night. In 2012, Instagram had just 30m users, 13 employees, and made no money. The $1bn valuation was mocked and appeared to many to be the sign of a tech bubble ready to burst. [...]
Complaints from EU push Amazon to allow two-click cancellation for Prime July 1, 2022 Amazon have made it easier for users to cancel their Prime subscriptions in just two clicks after consumer groups took their grievances about the e-commerce giant to the EU last year. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), the Norwegian Consumer Council and the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue criticised Amazon for pushing users to go through a number [...]
BA’s owner IAG to pay €75m to Air Europa after pulling out of takeover agreement December 16, 2021 British Airways’ (BA) owner IAG has announced today it will pay €75m (£63.7m) to Air Europa following yesterday’s decision to pull out from a £420m takeover deal, leaving shares up 0.70 per cent at closing time. IAG said it would it would pay the rival carrier’s owner Globalia €35m, on top a €40m break-up fee, [...]
Tesco, Sainsbury’s face calls for investigation into ‘profiteering’ as prices soar May 2, 2023 An inquiry should be commissioned into whether supermarkets have been “profiteering” during the cost-of-living crisis, the Liberal Democrats have said. Party leader Sir Ed Davey is calling for the competition watchdog to start an investigation into whether food retailers put up the price of goods by more than was necessary to cover the cost of [...]
CMA sets out the issues in Amazon’s Deliveroo investment January 28, 2020 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today laid out plans for the next stage of its investigation into the Amazon and Deliveroo tie-up. The regulator has set out the key areas it plans to assess. It includes whether the deal could damage competition in the online restaurant food delivery market and the emerging market [...]
Tesco: ‘Encouraging signs inflation is starting to ease’ as quarterly revenue tops £14.8bn June 16, 2023 Britain’s biggest supermarket Tesco has reported a nine per cent increase in UK sales, with its new chief executive saying there are “encouraging early signs that inflation is starting to ease”. Tesco said it reported £13bn in sales across the UK and Republic of Ireland, up almost nine per cent on the previous quarter. In [...]