Amazon's nearly $1.4 billion acquisition of iRobot has been warned by EU antitrust

CTOnews.com Amazon's $1.4 billion acquisition of iRobot could crowd out competitors and prevent them from competing fairly in the online marketplace, EU antitrust regulators said Monday.

Amazon announced the deal last August amid intense global regulatory scrutiny of such acquisitions and practices that could help leading companies accumulate vast amounts of data that regulators believe could enhance their market dominance or help them expand into more markets.

In a statement, the European Commission said: "Amazon may have the ability and incentive to crowd out iRobot's competitors by implementing multiple exclusivity strategies designed to prevent competitors from selling sweeping robots in Amazon stores and/or reduce their access. "

The European Union's competition enforcement agency said Amazon's online marketplace was an important conduit for sweeping robots in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The agency sent Amazon a statement of objection detailing its concerns. While this puts pressure on Amazon, it also provides direction for remediation, so it also gives the company a better chance to solve specific problems and even obtain unconditional approval.

Amazon said it was working with the European Commission to address its concerns.

"Faced with fierce competition from other robot vendors, iRobot offers practical and innovative products. We believe Amazon can provide resources for companies like iRobot to accelerate innovation and invest in key features while lowering prices to consumers. "