Alphabet Inc. (Google LLC) / Anthropic merger inquiry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated Alphabet Inc.’s (Google LLC) partnership with Anthropic PBC.

Statutory timetable

Phase 1 Action
19 November 2024 Decision announced
24 October 2024 Launch of merger inquiry
30 July 2024 to 13 August 2024 Invitation to comment

Phase 1

Found not to qualify decision

19 November 2024: The CMA has decided that Alphabet’s partnership with Anthropic does not qualify for investigation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002.

Launch of merger inquiry

24 October 2024: The CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.

Invitation to comment: closed 13 August 2024

30 July 2024: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering whether it is or may be the case that Alphabet’s partnership with Anthropic has resulted in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.

To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the transaction from any interested party, in advance of the CMA’s formal investigation starting.

Contact

Please send written representations about any competition or public interest to [email protected].

Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002. For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, please see our Privacy Notice.

Updates to this page

Published 30 July 2024
Last updated 24 December 2024 + show all updates
  1. Full text decision published.

  2. Summary of phase 1 decision published.

  3. Launch of merger inquiry.

  4. First published.