Amazon.com Inc.’s $1.65 billion bid to buy vacuum cleaner maker iRobot Corp. faces an in-depth European Union investigation amid concerns the takeover could thwart competitors by giving the ecommerce giant access to a new stash of user data.
The European Commission, the EU’s merger watchdog, set a deadline of Nov. 15 to vet the potential impact of deal, which has sparked a backlash from privacy activists.
Aside from thwarting rival robot vacuum cleaners, Amazon’s access to iRobot’s data may make “it more difficult for rival marketplace providers to match Amazon’s online marketplace services,” the commission said. “Thus, the transaction may raise barriers to entry and expansion for Amazon’s competitors to the detriment of consumers.”
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