UK: Watchdog to probe Google’s Looker acquisition

The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a merger enquiry into Google’s June 2019 acquisition of data analytics firm Looker for US$2.6 billion.

The decision comes two weeks after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated  that it had “reasonable grounds” to suspect that Google was planning to roll Looker fully into its parent company Alphabet, rather than keep it separate.

In that initial enforcement notice, the CMA stated that it suspects “it is or may be the case that arrangements are in progress or in contemplation which, if carried into effect, will result in: Google, including its subsidiaries Jumelles and Google UK; and Looker Data Sciences, (Looker) ceasing to be distinct.”

Google described the move as standard acquisition procedure. A company spokesperson said, “The acquisition of Looker has received regulatory approval in the U.S. and Austria and we continue to make progress with regulators in the UK.”

Looker has a range of competitors, including Tableau, Sisene, Qlik, and Domo. Its acquisition was the first major deal of Google Cloud Platform CEO Thomas Kurian’s tenure.

Looker is a multi-cloud data analytics firm with a 1,700-strong customer base that includes Amazon, IBM, Kickstarter, Sony, Spotify, and The Economist.

Full Content: Gov UK

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