The European Commission has announced a formal investigation into Broadcom, a US chipmaker, regarding alleged abuse of a dominant position in the markets for modem and television chipsets. In doing so, the European Commission has indicated that it intends to impose interim measures to restrain any exclusionary practices the chipmaker may be engaging in. This…
The battle of the tech titans continues as Google launches a new shopping service in the US which provides users with product suggestions based on their internet search history. Reported to be a move to tackle the rise of Amazon in product search and associated advertising revenues, it will be interesting to see whether the…
Ofcom has announced a £1.4 million fine against mobile provider Giffgaff. This follows an Ofcom investigation in which Giffgaff was found to have overcharged millions of customers due to an error in its billing system. In total, customers are said to have been overcharged almost £2.9 million. Ofcom’s press release can be found here. Please…
The US Department of Justice has announced that it will be reviewing the practices employed by market-leading online platforms in terms of whether they create or maintain structural impediments to competition in the market. The announcement follows the launch of similar antitrust investigations by regulators around the world, targeting online platform giants such as Google…
The UK Government has issued a consultation on its plans to implement the European Electronic Communications Code (the “EECC”). The EECC is an EU Directive reforming the EU regulatory framework for telecommunications with the aim of encouraging more investment in telecommunications infrastructure. Despite the ongoing Brexit process, under current timeframes the UK will still be…
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) has opened an investigation into the proposed private equity consortium takeover of Inmarsat. Inmarsat is the UK headquartered leading global mobile satellite communications provider of connectivity to ships, aircraft, and generally to locations not covered by traditional mobile networks. Moreover, it is reported that the CMA has also…
The EU has rejected a range of proposed standards for internet-connected cars, citing legal reasons. Despite speculation, the EU Transport Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, has indicated that the decision to block the proposed standards was not linked to calls for the standard to allow use of cellular technology, in particular 5G, as well as WiFi. Car…
The European Commission has fined US chipmaker Qualcomm €242 million for abuse of market dominance in 3G baseband chipsets. The chipsets are a key component which enable smartphones and computer tablets to connect to the internet via 3G. The European Commission has found that company engaged in predatory pricing, “with the intention of eliminating a…
The European Commission has today announced the opening of a formal antitrust investigation against tech giant Amazon. The investigation is to assess whether Amazon’s use of sensitive data from independent retailers selling on its marketplace breaches EU Competition Law. With the European Commission having issued record-breaking fines in recent years against Google for illegal leveraging…
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) has set its sights on Amazon’s investment in Roofoods Ltd, trading as Deliveroo, issuing an Interim Enforcement Order on 24 June 2019. Amazon was the lead investor in a financing round announced by Deliveroo in May, acquiring a minority stake in the food delivery business. The Interim Enforcement…
