FTC Takes Closer Look at Amazon Deal

Amazon is known to want to take over iRobot. The latter are probably best known to you thanks to their Roomba robot vacuums. Now, there seems to be skepticism about the buyout plans. The North American Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants to take a closer look at the potential takeover in a detailed review.

At least that’s what colleagues from The Register report. It is a deal valued at $1.7 billion. Amazon would gain significant leverage by incorporating iRobot into the smart home. A considerable base has already been built with its Blink and Ring branded cameras and Echo series smart speakers.

The FTC has now apparently reached out to Amazon and iRobot for more information on the upcoming merger. That could at least delay the takeover, depending on how the review unfolds and the results uncovered by the FTC. The non-profit organization Fight for the Future had previously asked the FTC to urgently block Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot. It has been argued that Amazon is becoming too powerful in the smart home market and receiving too much data, with the risk of misuse by the company being huge.

The FTC is also currently reviewing Amazon’s proposed acquisition of One Medical in the United States. FTC Chair Lina Khan is known for her critical stance on big tech companies. So it will be interesting to see if the two deals come to fruition.

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