Apple/Shazam: Big Data, Big Tech and M&A – what’s the big deal?

The European Commission’s announcement that it has approved Apple’s $400 million acquisition of Shazam provides a timely snapshot of some of the key questions facing competition authorities analysing Big Tech deals in Europe. Is Big Data a ‘friend’ or a ‘foe’ to consumers? Do the current EU merger control rules work for ‘Big Tech’ deals? Our briefing considers these issues and the way forward when looking at the competition aspects of data-driven deals in the digital economy.