Yazılar

Grab Eyes Q2 Acquisition of Indonesian Rival GoTo in $7 Billion Deal, Raising Antitrust Concerns

/in /tarafından

Grab Holdings is working toward a deal to acquire Indonesian rival GoTo in the second quarter of 2025, in a move that could dramatically reshape Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing and delivery landscape, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The proposed deal, valued at around $7 billion, is currently under negotiation with advisors and banks, and remains subject to financing terms.

Grab, which is headquartered in Singapore and listed on the Nasdaq, seeks to acquire GoTo’s international unit in Singapore, as well as its entire Indonesian operations excluding its finance arm, sources said. GoTo, which provides e-commerce, food delivery, and digital financial services, is backed by SoftBank and Taobao China Holding and is widely seen as Indonesia’s largest digital ecosystem.

A deal between the two would result in a dominant regional player controlling an estimated 85% of Southeast Asia’s $8 billion ride-hailing market, according to Euromonitor International. In Indonesia, the merged entity would hold over 91% market share, and nearly 90% in Singapore, raising significant antitrust concerns.

“Markets, especially in Indonesia and Singapore, will impose strict scrutiny,”
said David Zhang, Euromonitor’s insights manager for Asia, noting the high likelihood of regulatory blocks in key markets.

Still, some analysts believe Indonesian regulators may adopt a more pragmatic stance. According to Niko Margaronis of BRI Danareksa Sekuritas, authorities might weigh the long-term economic value and competitive strength that could result from consolidating two major tech players.

This potential merger follows increased regulatory pushback against consolidation in Asia’s digital services sector. In March, Uber dropped a $950 million bid for Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda in Taiwan after authorities blocked the deal on anti-competition grounds.

Grab, backed by Uber, offers delivery, ride-hailing, and financial services across Southeast Asia. Its shares are up 2.4% year-to-date, with a market value of nearly $20 billion, while GoTo has seen a 20% rise in 2024, reaching a market value of about $5.8 billion, per LSEG data.

Both Grab and GoTo declined to comment on the report.

U.S. Seeks Breakup of Google’s Ad-Tech Business After Judge Finds Illegal Monopoly

/in /tarafından

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is pushing to break up Google’s advertising technology empire, proposing that the tech giant be forced to sell its AdX ad exchange and DFP publisher ad-server platform following a federal judge’s ruling that Google illegally monopolized the online ad-tech market.

In a court filing late Monday, the DOJ stated that such divestitures are essential to restore fair competition in the ad-exchange and publisher ad-serving sectors, where Google — a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. — has long held dominant positions.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled last month that Google had “willfully acquired and maintained monopoly power” in both markets. The case marks another major legal setback for Google, coming after a separate ruling last year found the company guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly in online search.

A September trial date has been scheduled to determine final remedies. While Google has said it is open to behavioral changes, such as giving competitors access to real-time bidding data, the company opposes any forced divestitures, arguing such a move lacks legal standing and would hurt advertisers and publishers alike.

“This goes well beyond the Court’s findings,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of Regulatory Affairs. “It would harm publishers and advertisers, and has no basis in law.”

AdX (Ad Exchange) is Google’s real-time ad marketplace, while DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers) is used to manage and deliver ads on websites. Together, they are key tools that allow digital publishers to monetize their content, and their dominance has drawn increasing antitrust scrutiny.

In Europe, Google previously offered to sell AdX to settle an EU investigation, but publishers rejected the offer, calling it inadequate.

Alphabet’s shares fell 1.1% in premarket trading on Tuesday following the DOJ’s filing.

EU Cracks Down on Google and Apple Over Digital Market Rules

/in /tarafından

The European Commission intensified its regulatory action against Big Tech on Wednesday, charging Google with two violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and ordering Apple to open its ecosystem to competitors. The crackdown comes amid growing tensions between the EU and the U.S., with former President Donald Trump previously threatening tariffs in response to European fines on American companies.

Google’s alleged violations include restricting app developers from directing users to external offers outside the Google Play Store and prioritizing its own services—such as Google Flights, Google Shopping, and Google Hotels—over competitors in search results. The EU claims these practices hinder fair competition and consumer choice. Google defended its business model, warning that stricter regulations could reduce the quality of search results and limit investment in Android and Play services.

Apple was issued two compliance orders, requiring it to allow rival device makers seamless access to its technology and to establish clear timelines for responding to developers’ interoperability requests. Apple pushed back, arguing that these measures would slow innovation and unfairly benefit competitors who do not follow the same regulations.

Both companies face serious consequences if they fail to comply. Google, which has already been fined over €8 billion by the EU for previous antitrust violations, could face penalties of up to 10% of its global revenue. Apple may also undergo further investigations and financial sanctions if it does not meet the new regulatory demands.

Despite the regulatory pressure, shares of Alphabet and Apple rose by 1% and 1.6%, respectively, following the announcement.