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Amazon’s $1.7 billion acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot has attracted attention not only in the United States but also in Europe. announced by the European Commission. started a thorough investigation The acquisition was made because of concerns that the merger would limit competition in the robot vacuum cleaner industry. The committee is particularly concerned that Amazon could prevent iRobot rivals from selling robot vacuum cleaners in the market. The commission said Amazon could prioritize iRobot products in both paid and unpaid search results, or charge high fees to promote competing products.
In addition, the agency said that because voice control by the assistant is one of the most important selling points for robot vacuums, Amazon expects iRobot’s rivals to have access to future Alexa APIs and achieve “Works with Alexa” certification. concerned about the possibility of interfering with Finally, the committee has expressed concern about Amazon’s access to iRobot users’ data, which it believes could provide “significant advantages” to the e-commerce giant. For example, Amazon can use that information to better personalize and target our advertising. The bottom line is that “this transaction raises barriers to entry and expansion for Amazon’s competitors, potentially detrimental to consumers.”
The Commission will now work with other competition authorities to investigate these concerns and will have until November 15 to make a final decision. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into the deal last year after politicians from both parties called for it to be opposed.
An Amazon spokesperson said: Reuters The company said it “will continue to move forward with the process with the European Commission”. [is] The company also told the media outlet that Amazon could “provide companies like iRobot with the resources to accelerate innovation and invest in key features while lowering consumer prices.” .