The FTC is reportedly looking into Microsoft’s $13 billion OpenAI investment
The FTC is reportedly looking into Microsoft’s $13 billion OpenAI investment
OpenAI’s recent drama hasn’t only caught UK regulators’ attention. Bloomberg reported Friday that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into Microsoft’s investment in the Sam Altman-led company and whether it violates antitrust laws.
You just let Microsoft buy Activision. You’re not going to do shit about this either.
The FTC fully opposed it and is still opposing it as of Dec 6th. The FTC sued twice to stop the deal, and is currently appealing the merger a judge approved.
They are opposing it so much it is drawing scrutiny on the extremely aggressively antitrust chair Biden appointed, Lina Khan, a person who literally wrote a lauded economics paper about how amazon became a monopoly using anticompetitive practices and illegal tactics.
Get pissed at the government if you like, but at least get your facts straight first.
“The FTC withdrew its request after courts did not find their anti-trust compelling to block the merger”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquisition_of_Activision_Blizzard_by_Microsoft
The FTC tried & failed. They'll most likely fail here too. It's tough for courts to rule against what the FTC sees as unfair competition when even the judges are likely Amazon Prime & Big 3 ecosystem subscribers.
I'm not a lawyer or legal expert but my layman's understanding is the laws on antitrust are a 100 years old. Most of these companies skirt them "technically". There is thing about proving consumer harm and some of these, in the short term, are arguable better for consumers. Likewise proving an actual monopoly with old time definitions is hard because in a lot of cases there is technically competition.
Let me end by saying, I think it's horse she and they are plenty anti competitive practices out there, but the FTC is fighting with a hand tied behind their back with the laws in place.
And literally nothing will happen.
Monopolies own the govt, they do what they want
Fuck happened to the amazon investigation? FTC is all about news headlines and that's it.
What happened is that the FTC is taking on Amazon in court as we speak:
The FTC is pro-trust not antitrust.
Appointing Lina Khan to head the FTC is one of the only good things Biden has done while in office.
However, the FTC has been defanged and neutered by the courts and Congress. To say nothing of the full court press the media, especially mainstream business publications, have engaged in to attack her and limit her influence and reduce her political capital.
So unlike most of Biden's top level appointments, I actually don't doubt her intentions, or her goals, but I also don't hold out much hope as to what she'll be able to accomplish, though not for any lack of effort on her part.
Their lead investigator will surely sniff this one out!
/I'm going to hell!
Looks more like investigating having their photo taken