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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially lodged a request for a "temporary restraining order," seeking to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The FTC initially filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company in December. Now, the agency is taking further action by pursuing a temporary restraining order and injunction from a federal district court in the United States.
"Both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction are necessary because Microsoft and Activision have represented that they may consummate the proposed acquisition at any time," the FTC's complaint reads.
The regulator expressed concerns that if Microsoft's acquisition of Activision is permitted, Microsoft would have the ability to "withhold or degrade" Activision's gaming products by means such as price manipulation, compromising game quality, undermining the user experience on competing platforms, or even "withholding content from competitors entirely."
Following the FTC's confirmation of its request for a temporary restraining order, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick published a letter where he referred to the agency's action as "a welcome update and one that accelerates the legal process." He further emphasized that the company is ready to present its case to a federal judge, who can thoroughly assess the transaction based on its merits.
Microsoft's president Brad Smith also responded to the FTC's action saying that the agency's decision should "accelerate the decision-making process."
You can find the FTC's complaint here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.