There has been a spike in activity in the realm of regulatory and legislative oversight of Microsoft and Amazon this week. Here’s a quick rundown.
- The Federal Trade Commission’s case against Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision-Blizzard deal is the subject of a five-day hearing starting today in San Francisco, with expected witnesses including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. (The Verge)
- In a letter to the FTC, Google alleged that Microsoft and Oracle are engaged in anti-competitive practices in the cloud industry using “overly complex agreements that seek to lock in clients to their ecosystems.” (CNBC and The Information)
- In a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Sen. Bernie Sanders opened an investigation into what he calls “dangerous and illegal conditions” at Amazon’s warehouses. (Washington Post)
- The FTC is suing Amazon on allegations that the company “tricked and trapped” people into becoming (and remaining) Prime members, a claim Amazon vehemently denies.
