NortonLifeLock and Avast Tie-Up Falls Under UK Competition Regulator's Spotlight
An Anonymous Coward writes:
CMA invites comments from 'interested parties' on what merger means to them
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority[CMA] has invited comments from industry and interested parties about NortonLifeLock's proposed $8bn purchase of fellow infosec outfit Avast.
The merger inquiry will run until the 16 March when the comments will be collated and assessed to determine if there is sufficient concern to warrant a deeper investigation.
"The CMA is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002," it said.
If that is the case, the watchdog will try to ascertain "whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets" in the UK for goods and services.
[...] A NortonLifeLock spokesperson told us: "This is the normal, expected process of review with the CMA. As we noted in the 2.7 announcement, the UK was one of a handful of countries where some level of regulatory review was anticipated. We've been proactively engaged with them, and we continue to believe that the transaction will greatly benefit consumers and enhance product innovation for the combined companies."
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.