4 ms·

I think a lot of people are ignoring MS. It does seem more like an I'll judged emotional outburst than a reasoned reaction. The competition authority in the UK

I think a lot of people are ignoring MS. It does seem more like an I'll judged emotional outburst than a reasoned reaction. The competition authority in the UK is well respected so their conclusion is going to be given great weight by the EU and the US. Given the EUs track record, they're likely to be stricter than the UK, so the CMA adjudication is a good forward indicator that the deal is basically dead.

Silhouette 3y ago
The cheap shot from MS about the EU was particularly juvenile. They can't seriously expect a more generous hearing from the bloc that has repeatedly hit big US tech firms with regulations and disguised taxation over the past few years than from the relatively business-friendly UK. They're just hoping to put some kind of pressure on the government in the UK because Brexit makes comparisons between the business environments in the UK and EU a touchy subject right now. Given that it wasn't even the UK government who made the call here that probably won't achieve much. Would the UK government really change the fundamental rules of the game to override the CMA just because the regulator did its job? Doesn't seem likely. Literally all of the commentary I've seen about this from any source not connected to Microsoft or Activision is taking the view that it was the right call by the regulator.
dogma1138 3y ago
The CMA tends to be the strictest of the bunch (the same pretty much goes for all UK regulators e.g. compare the FCA to the likes of BaFin) their policy focuses on prevention not management and they tend to forecast further into the future than their European or American counterparts and most importantly they aren’t looking only at issues that can emerge within their respective market but any market that could have impact on the UK down the line.

4 ms·

I think a lot of people are ignoring MS. It does seem more like an I'll judged emotional outburst than a reasoned reaction. The competition authority in the UK

by drumhead 3y ago

Silhouette 3y ago
The cheap shot from MS about the EU was particularly juvenile. They can't seriously expect a more generous hearing from the bloc that has repeatedly hit big US tech firms with regulations and disguised taxation over the past few years than from the relatively business-friendly UK. They're just hoping to put some kind of pressure on the government in the UK because Brexit makes comparisons between the business environments in the UK and EU a touchy subject right now. Given that it wasn't even the UK government who made the call here that probably won't achieve much. Would the UK government really change the fundamental rules of the game to override the CMA just because the regulator did its job? Doesn't seem likely. Literally all of the commentary I've seen about this from any source not connected to Microsoft or Activision is taking the view that it was the right call by the regulator.
dogma1138 3y ago
The CMA tends to be the strictest of the bunch (the same pretty much goes for all UK regulators e.g. compare the FCA to the likes of BaFin) their policy focuses on prevention not management and they tend to forecast further into the future than their European or American counterparts and most importantly they aren’t looking only at issues that can emerge within their respective market but any market that could have impact on the UK down the line.