EU asks rival companies to weigh in on the Facebook-WhatsApp deal

[Dietrichw]

Source

 

 

Facebook is prepared to drop a cool $19 billion in cash and stock to buy Whatsapp, but it won't actually get to until both companies gone through a regulatory rigmarole. Part of that process involves getting the blessing of Europe's antitrust crusaders and according to the Wall Street Journal, the European Commission wants to know just what sort of impact the merger will have on the companies' competitors. Its plan to find out? Sending them, erm, questionnaires. The list of rivals that have been asked for input hasn't been disclosed, but c'mon -- does anyone expect them to say "Oh yeah, the merger's cool, we'll be totally fine"?

 

Obviously the big question is whether the Commission will give the mashup the go-ahead, but that verdict is a long ways off and there's no telling what sort of responses will help guide that decision. 

[Rorgash]

sounds like a good thing, competition is extremely important

[BonBon Scott]

I like these types of news posts. It highlights the important text and makes it quick and easy to get the gist of what's going on.