As Microsoft faces scrutiny from regulators around the world regarding its attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it may encounter one of its most significant hurdles yet in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission is “likely” to file an antitrust lawsuit over the proposed deal, according to a new report from Politico.
A lawsuit is said not to be a guarantee as of yet, as the FTC’s commissioners have not voted on such a move and may first look to meet with lawyers from Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. An FTC investigation is ongoing but much of it is completed, and a lawsuit could come in December. The FTC declined to comment on the possibility.
Microsoft famously faced a significant antitrust lawsuit by the US government back in the 1990s, but in more recent years has dealt with fewer of those issues even while pressure was applied to fellow tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook. However, new FTC Chair Lina Khan, who has dealt with antitrust complaints a great deal in the past, may be looking to push back on the proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which would be Microsoft’s biggest deal ever by far.