Facebook seeks EU antitrust review of WhatsApp deal
The deal was cleared in the US last month by the Federal Trade Commission
Social network Facebook Inc. has asked European Union antitrust regulators to examine its $19 billion takeover of mobile messaging service WhatsApp Inc., a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.
Companies, which need approvals for mergers from several national regulators in Europe, typically prefer to take their case to the European Commission to avoid the hassle of multiple reviews.
The deal was cleared in the US last month by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a letter to the two companies on 10 April, said WhatsApp must adhere to its current privacy practices after the merger, including a promise not to use WhatsApp users’ personal data for targeted ads.
Facebook was not immediately available for comment, while a European Commission spokeswoman declined to comment. Reuters
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