The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking a closer look at Amazon’s iRobot acquisition.
Amazon announced in August that it was buying iRobot for $1.7 billion. Almost immediately, privacy advocates raised alarms over the deal, especially given Amazon’s privacy policies and issues with Alexa and Ring security products.
According to Reuters, the FTC is taking a closer look at the deal. The privacy implications, as well as Amazon’s already dominant position in the smart home market, are the driving factors for the FTC.
Given the current scrutiny Big Tech is under, and the measures lawmakers are taking to prevent large companies from buying out smaller competitors, it would not be surprising if the FTC scuttles the deal.
