Did the FTC Lie About Microsoft? (Premium)
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In announcing that it would sue to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the FTC cited a previous incident in which Microsoft had allegedly deceived EU regulators. Microsoft says it never happened. And now the EU has gone on record. And … it’s a bit nuanced.
To recap, the FTC complained that Microsoft gaining control of “top video game franchises” would enable it to “harm competition in high-performance gaming consoles and subscription services by denying or degrading rivals’ access to its popular content.” Its proof, despite the ongoing assurances from Microsoft that it makes no sense to do any of that, is simple enough. Microsoft, the FTC, claimed, had already lied to “European antitrust authorities” and has a “record of acquiring and using valuable gaming content to suppress competition from rival consoles.”
With technology shaping our everyday lives, how could we not dig deeper?
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