Lina Khan Losing Against Big Tech

Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, known for her critical stance on big tech companies, has faced setbacks in her attempts to block major deals involving technology giants. A federal judge recently denied the FTC's bid to prevent Microsoft from closing its acquisition of videogame publisher Activision Blizzard. This followed a similar setback earlier in the year when the FTC failed to thwart Meta's purchase of a virtual-reality gaming company. Khan has been vocal about the need for more vigorous antitrust enforcement to address the growing power of companies like Meta and Facebook. The judge's opinion noted that the FTC failed to provide evidence supporting its claim that Microsoft would withhold Activision's games from competitors. The FTC and the Justice Department are expected to release new guidelines on mergers, providing more precise indications of which deals will be challenged.