Scoop: Ferrero, maker of the popular chocolate spread Nutella, was the target of EU antitrust raids earlier this week, according to people familiar with the probe:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Google Hit by Fresh EU Antitrust Probe Over Search Ads Pricing Google, the target for billions of euros in European Union antitrust fines, has been hit by a fresh EU probe over concerns it’s illegally rigging the cost of advertising on its search engine.

Scoop: Google, the target for billions of euros in European Union antitrust fines, has been hit by a fresh EU probe over concerns it’s illegally rigging the cost of advertising on search, according to documents seen by Bloomberg: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

At the 2026 Milano-Cortina games, would-be skiing champions, including Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA and Austria’s Raphael Haaser, will be clad in some labels at the center of an EU antitrust investigation...

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Paramount Holds Macron Talks in European Push for Warner Deal Paramount Skydance Corp.’s leadership has held talks in recent days with French President Emmanuel Macron amid a European charm offensive to garner support for its $108.4 billion hostile bid for…

Scoop: Paramount’s leadership has held talks in recent days with French President Emmanuel Macron amid a European charm offensive to garner support for its $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EU Opens Google Antitrust Probe Over AI Use of Online Content Google has been hit by a European Union investigation over fears it may have abused its dominance by using its own artificial intelligence tools to squeeze out competition.

New: Google has been hit by a European Union investigation over fears it may have abused its dominance by using its own artificial intelligence tools to squeeze out competition: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Netflix–Warner Bros. Deal Sets Up $72 Billion Antitrust Test Netflix Inc. has won the heated takeover battle for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. Now it must convince global antitrust regulators that the deal won’t give it an illegal advantage in the streaming…

Netflix’s €72 Billion Warner Bros deal:

When your buyout is so big even antitrust regulators want a subscription.

Binge watch it here:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Universal Faces EU Warning Over $775 Million Downtown Deal Universal Music Group’s $775 million bid for Downtown Music Holdings is set to be hit by a formal warning from European Union watchdogs setting out concerns that the deal could stifle services to…

Universal’s $775 million bid for Downtown is set to be hit by a formal warning from European Union watchdogs setting out concerns that the deal could stifle services to artists signed with independent labels:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Tech Giants’ Cloud Power Probed as EU Weighs Inclusion in DMA Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Corp.’s Azure, and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Cloud risk being dragged into the scope of the European Union’s crackdown on Big Tech as antitrust watchdogs prepare to study…

New: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft’s Azure, and Alphabet's Google Cloud risk being dragged into the scope of the European Union’s crackdown on Big Tech as antitrust watchdogs prepare to study the platforms’ market power: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Deutsche Boerse and Nasdaq Hit by EU Derivatives Cartel Probe Deutsche Boerse AG and Nasdaq Inc. risk hefty European Union fines after the bloc’s antitrust watchdog opened a full-scale investigation into a suspected cartel linked to listing, trading and…

Deutsche Boerse and Nasdaq risk hefty European Union fines after the bloc’s antitrust watchdog opened a full-scale investigation into a suspected cartel linked to listing, trading and clearing of derivatives: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Scoop: MMG’s $500 million purchase of Anglo American Plc's Brazilian nickel business will be hit by an in-depth EU investigation, with regulators concerned over how the deal could harm the bloc’s stainless-steel industry:

Apple Attacks EU Crackdown in Digital Law’s Biggest Court Test Apple Inc. lashed out at the European Union’s attempts to tame the power of Silicon Valley in the most far-reaching legal challenge of the bloc’s Big Tech antitrust rules.

At the EU General Court in Luxembourg today, Apple lashed out at the EU’s attempts to tame the power of Silicon Valley in the most far-reaching legal challenge of the bloc’s Big Tech antitrust rules: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Gucci, Chloé and Loewe Hit by €157 Million EU Antitrust Fines Luxury fashion giants Gucci, Chloé and Loewe have been hit with European Union fines totaling more than €157 million ($182 million) for imposing allegedly illegal price curbs.

New: Luxury fashion giants Gucci, Chloé and Loewe have been hit with European Union fines totaling more than €157 million ($182 million) for imposing allegedly illegal price curbs: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EU Relief as Trump Declares War Is Over and Hostages Released Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Sam Stolton, European competition reporter with Bloomberg, bringing you the latest from the European Union. Make sure you’re signed up.US President Donald Trump…

US President Donald Trump won scores of European plaudits today, as he declared that “war is over” after sealing a landmark 20-point agreement to halt hostilities between Israel and Hamas: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

OpenAI Warns EU Antitrust Watchdogs of Big Tech’s Data Dominance OpenAI has raised concerns with European Union antitrust enforcers over potentially harmful conduct by the likes of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc.

New: OpenAI has raised concerns with European Union antitrust enforcers over potentially harmful conduct by the likes of Google, Microsoft and Apple: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Vaccine Firm Raided by EU in ‘Disparagement’ Antitrust Case Sanofi SA revealed it was the target of a raid by European Union antitrust regulators over suspected “anticompetitive disparagement,” in the latest crackdown on firms allegedly bad-mouthing their…

Sanofi was the target of a raid by European Union antitrust regulators over suspected “anticompetitive disparagement,” in the latest crackdown on firms allegedly bad-mouthing their rivals: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

New: ADNOC's nearly €12 billion takeover of Covestro is edging closer to European Union approval after talks with regulators paved the way for a package of commitments to be submitted as soon as next week, according to people familiar with the matter: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Google Readies EU Offer After €3 Billion Fine, Skips Full Split Google will meet the European Union’s deadline to propose changes to its advertising technology business after a near-€3 billion ($3.5 billion) fine — but won’t include the full breakup the EU and…

New: Google will meet the EU’s deadline to propose changes to its advertising technology business after a near-€3 billion fine — but won’t include the full breakup the EU and industry rivals have previously pushed for: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Google Fined Almost €3 Billion by EU for Abusing Adtech Power Alphabet Inc.’s Google was fined almost €3 billion ($3.5 billion) by the European Union and ordered to stop favoring its own advertising technology services, in a move that risks further inflaming…

❗ Google fined almost €3 billion by the EU and ordered to stop favoring its own advertising technology services, in a move that risks further inflaming tensions with US President Donald Trump at a critical time in trade talks: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Google’s Adtech Fine Delayed as EU Frets Over Trump Backlash The European Union paused its immediate plans to punish Alphabet Inc.’s Google for abusing its dominance over advertising technology amid fears that US President Donald Trump could hit back by…

EU Commission ironing out the kinks in its Google Adtech decision:

- Decision still due within days / weeks
- Cease & desist order rather than a full-blown breakup
- Expected to be smallest-ever EU Google antitrust fine

But the 'kink' in question is a biggun'...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Italy Defends Right to Restrict UniCredit’s BPM Bid in EU Reply Italy has pushed back against European Union criticism of Rome’s power to block or limit deals, which Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently used in UniCredit SpA’s now-failed attempt to acquire…

New: Italy has pushed back against EU criticism of Rome’s power to block or limit deals, which Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently used in UniCredit's now-failed attempt to acquire Banco BPM. w/ Alessandra Migliaccio & Sonia Sirletti

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

& the admission that VDL changed handsets several times since the exchange with Pfizer's Bourla is a moot point - particularly if a cloud-based messaging service was used. Surely some trace of data must be accessible...somewhere? I defer to technical experts here. @alexfanta.bsky.social

There are technical differences between accessing missing Signal messages (which appears to VDL's platform of choice), and WhatsApp messages.

But the fact that forensic experts have not been called in to assist in Pfizergate - in the name of transparency - is puzzling...

A competition case that resulted in a hefty fine last year for International Flavors & Fragrances.

In this investigation, the commission's own experts were able to recover intentionally deleted WhatsApp messages that evidenced abusive behavior.

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

But...'should' the #Pfizergate saga end? The Commission has forensic IT experts under its employ who are often tasked with identifying 'deleted' records. For example...

Hidden Belgium: The house where Jacques Louis David died A stone plaque marks the house where the radical French artist lived from 1815 until his death in 1825.

A stone plaque marks the house where the radical French artist lived from 1815 until his death in 1825.

New: Broadcom’s $61 billion acquisition of VMware faces scrutiny from EU judges, after a cloud computing group contested the European Commission’s approval of one of the world’s biggest tech deals: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EU to Warn Italy It Overstepped on UniCredit’s Banco BPM Deal The European Union is set to rebuke the Italian government for imposing harsh conditions on UniCredit SpA’s takeover of Banco BPM SpA, setting up a power struggle between Brussels and Rome over the fa...

❗ NEW: The European Union is set to rebuke the Italian government for imposing harsh conditions on UniCredit’s takeover of Banco BPM, setting up a power struggle between Brussels and Rome over the fate of the deal:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EU’s Ribera Won’t Trade Big Tech Rules to Placate Trump The European Union’s crackdown on Apple Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., and Alphabet Inc.’s Google isn’t a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with US President Donald Trump, according to Teresa Ribera,…

The European Union’s crackdown on Apple, Meta Google and others isn’t a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with US President Donald Trump, according to Teresa Ribera, the EU’s competition chief: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Apple Poised to Offer App Store Changes to Dodge More EU Fines Apple Inc. is poised to offer further App Store changes to appease European Union antitrust watchdogs who issued an ultimatum after doling out a €500 million ($580 million) fine.

Apple is poised to offer further App Store changes to appease European Union antitrust watchdogs who issued an ultimatum after doling out a €500 million ($580 million) fine:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

TikTok Fined €530 Million for Illegally Sending EU Data to China TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. was fined €530 million ($600 million) by the European Union for illegally sending user data to China, warning the firm it didn’t do enough to keep information out of reach…

❗️ TikTok gets €530 million EU privacy fine for illegally sending user data to China, with the Irish data protection regulator warning the firm didn’t do enough to keep information out of reach from Chinese state services: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...