Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 22, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 27, 2026
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The UK's CMA, under new leadership, is reviewing key competition cases involving Big Tech and major acquisitions.
(Reuters) - Britain's decision to force out the chair of its antitrust regulator after he failed to prioritise the Labour government's growth agenda indicates the country's attempt to rein in Big Tech could be over.
Marcus Bokkerink was replaced at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) late on Tuesday by Amazon's former boss in Britain, Doug Gurr.
Here is the list of some high-profile cases under review by the UK's CMA.
Case title Case stage CMA remarks Deadline
Probe into Launched strategic To assess Google's position in search, search advertising services Oct. 13, 2025
Google's market status
general designation probe
search,
search ad
services
Mobile Set for publication of CMA said some inherent aspects of the supply of mobile browsers are contributing to March 16,
browsers final report for case competition issues, and revenue sharing arrangement between Apple and Google is likely to 2025
and cloud involving Meta, reduce competition
gaming Alphabet, Apple, BT,
Vodafone, among others
Probe into CMA in talks with Accepts company's commitments including proposals to remove third-party cookies from Chrome
Google's Google on changes to browser
"Privacy commitments
Sandbox"
browser
changes
Probe into Receipt of written and Google harmed competition by using its dominance in online display advertising to favour its
suspected oral representations on own ad tech services
anti-compe the statement of
titive objections
conduct by
Google in
ad tech
IBM's $6.4 Phase 1 Investigating potential competition concerns involved in the anticipated $6.4 bln acquisition Feb. 25, 2025
bln by IBM of HashiCorp
acquisitio
n of
HashiCorp
Synopsys' CMA to consider CMA believes it might accept remedies offered by parties including the divestment of some
$35 bln undertakings offered businesses, if it were to clear Ansys' $35 bln purchase by Synopsys
purchase
of
Synopsys
ForFarmers Phase 2 CMA is undertaking its in-depth phase 2 probe under the revised processes for such May 13, 2025
/Boparan investigations, after initial probe found the potential joint venture between ForFarmers and
joint Boparan could lead to competition concerns
venture
Global Interim report Provisionally found competition concerns as part of in-depth probe into Global Business March 9, 2025
Business published Travel's $570 mln deal to buy CWT Holdings
Travel's
$570 mln
deal to
buy CWT
Holdings
Keysight's Phase 1 CMA is considering whether Keysight's $1.5 bln acquisition of Spirent would result in March 13,
$1.5 bln substantial lessening of competition 2025
acquisitio
n of
Spirent
Blackrock' Merger inquiry launched CMA has not yet launched its formal probe after considering whether Blackrock's $3.2 bln Feb. 12, 2025
s $3.2 bln acquisition of UK data group Preqin could raise competition issues, and have invited initial
acquisitio views from parties involved
n of
Preqin
Schlumberg Invited comments as CMA has not yet launched its formal probe into Schlumberger's $8 bln purchase of ChampionX,
er's part of information but has issued preliminary invitation to comment after seeing potential competition concerns
(SLB's) $8 gathering process
bln
purchase
of
ChampionX
(Compiled by Aby Jose Koilparambil and Dhanush Vignesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
The article discusses the UK competition regulator's ongoing cases as a new leader steps in.
Doug Gurr, former Amazon UK boss, is the new leader of the CMA.
Cases include Google's market practices and major acquisitions like IBM's purchase of HashiCorp.
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