The European Commission will make a decision by July 6 on whether or not to approve Amazon’s proposed acquisition of iRobot, a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturer, for $1.7 billion, as per a filing on Thursday.
In August of last year, Amazon, a US online retailer, announced their acquisition to expand their range of smart devices. These devices include a voice assistant named Alexa, smart thermostats, security devices, wall-mounted smart displays, and a robot called Astro that resembles a canine.
The EU competition enforcer can either clear the deal with or without remedies after its preliminary review or it can open a four-month-long investigation if it has serious concerns.
Related: UK Watchdog Probes Amazon’s $1.7B iRobot Acquisition
“We’re working cooperatively with the relevant regulators in their review of this merger,” an Amazon spokesperson said.
The examination of the deal is being conducted by both the US Federal Trade Commission and the UK competition agency.
Regulators in the US and Europe are cautious about Big Tech acquiring smaller competitors, particularly those with significant amounts of user data. As a result, they typically require concessions before approving these transactions.
