CMA chair: ‘The UK desperately needs economic growth’ Opinion The CMA is evolving but we will always stick firmly to the fundamentals: Protecting UK consumers and promoting competition, says new chair Doug Gurr Today I’m speaking to my fellow chairs at a summit of the UK major regulators. It’s a privilege to be part of the deep collective experience and commitment of that group [...]
Vodafone and Three hit back at regulator’s concerns in merger battle telecoms Vodafone and Three have pushed back against the regulator’s concerns over their proposed £15bn merger, insisting that “outstanding issues can be resolved,” following the latest findings from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In a response published today, the telecom firms said they “remain confident” in the deal, which would combine two of the UK’s [...]
CVS: Vet probe weighs on profit but fundamentals ‘strong’ Business Veterinary group CVS has said that a competition probe into the vet sector, plus cost of living pressures and a cyber attack, negatively affected its performance over the last year. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a formal probe into the sector in May. CVS shares plunged 20 per cent after the announcement, and [...]
Why Google faces millions in fines from global regulators September 24, 2024 Google is up against the growing wrath of regulators worldwide, as it faces the possibility of millions in fines for alleged anti-competitive practices. According to Bloomberg, the EU is preparing to investigate Google’s conduct in the digital marketplace, including whether it preferences its own services, such as Google Flights and Google Hotels, in search results. [...]
Fashion brands told to ‘stay on the right side of the law’ amid greenwashing claims September 18, 2024 Some of the most high-profile fashion brands in the UK have been warned to be clearer on their green credentials by the UK competition watchdog as it clamps down on misleading marketing. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a new sustainability compliance guide for retailers and told 17 brands to review their practices. [...]
Analysts see ‘path to approval’ for Vodafone and Three deal September 13, 2024 Although Britain’s competition watchdog has raised fresh concerns over the proposed £15bn tie-up between Vodafone and Three’s UK operations, analysts have suggested the findings of the latest probe are more positive than expected. In its provisional findings, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) flagged potential price increases for millions of mobile customers and warned of [...]
Price rises and smaller data packages: Regulator voices concerns over Vodafone’s £15bn Three merger September 13, 2024 The planned £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three could lead to price increases for tens of millions of mobile customers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. The watchdog added that the deal, which was first announced last year, could also see customers get a reduced service such as smaller data packages in their [...]
Competition watchdog takes interest in Carlsberg-Britvic merger September 10, 2024 The competition watchdog announced this morning that it had opened the first stages of an investigation into the tie-up between Carlsberg and rival drinks brand Britvic. Danish brewing giant Carlsberg agreed to acquire the British soft drinks maker for £3.3bn in July, in a significant push into the UK non-alcoholic drinks market. The CMA has [...]
Publishers rally as Google advertising antitrust trial restarts in US September 9, 2024 One month after a US court ruled that Google illegally maintained its monopoly on internet search, the tech giant is back in the dock. This time, Google’s lucrative online advertising business, which last year raked in nearly $240bn (£183bn), is under fire, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and 17 states accusing its parent company, Alphabet, of monopolising digital [...]
Google accused of using its dominance to harm the competition September 6, 2024 Google has been accused of using “anti-competitive practices” which harm thousands of publishers and advertisers in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it has provisionally found that the US giant could be negatively impacting rivals over open-display advert technology. According to its findings, the watchdog said that when placing digital adverts on [...]