EU regulators on Friday cleared the buyout of the WhatsApp mobile messaging service by Facebook Inc, despite opposition by telecom companies afraid of the growing power of US technology giants.
In a statement explaining its approval of the US$19 billon deal, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said Facebook and WhatsApp were “not close competitors” and that consumers would continue to have a “wide array of choices.”
“We have carefully reviewed this proposed acquisition and come to the conclusion that it would not hamper competition in this dynamic and growing market,” EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement.
Facebook, the world’s biggest social network, announced the buyout of the WhatsApp messenger service, used by 600 million people, in February and US authorities approved the deal in April.
The powerful European telecom lobby had argued that Facebook and WhatsApp together would have access to an unfair stock of user data and gain an unfair competition advantage in the crucial data and consumer habit market used by advertisers.
However, the commission turned down this argument, concluding that, regardless of whether Facebook would start collecting WhatsApp user data, “the transaction would not raise competition concerns.”
After the merger, “a large amount of Internet user data that is valuable for advertising purposes is not within Facebook’s exclusive control,” the commission said.
The decision comes as US Internet giant Google Inc faces intense scrutiny from the commission over accusations of unfair advantages the search engine gives its own services in search results.
In the US, more than a dozen Hollywood celebrities whose naked pictures were hacked and posted online have threatened to sue Google for failing to crack down on the leaks.
In a letter written by prominent Tinseltown lawyer Marty Singer and published by the Hollywood Reporter, they warned they could seek up to US$100 million in damages from the Internet search giant.
“We are writing concerning Google’s despicable, reprehensible conduct in not only failing to act expeditiously and responsibly to remove the images, but in knowingly accommodating, facilitating and perpetuating the unlawful conduct,” the letter read.
“Google is making millions and profiting from the victimization of women,” said the letter, written on behalf of over a dozen unnamed celebrities, actresses, models and athletes.
The warning letter came after two waves of nude photos, including of stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Kardashian, were circulated on social media last month.
There was no immediate response from Google to the lawyer’s letter, which was dated Wednesday.
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