Today, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission published their final new merger guidelines to help stop anti-competitive mergers. Public Knowledge previously filed comments with both the DOJ and FTC supporting these key updates to strengthen merger enforcement for certain types of vertical mergers and mergers by digital platforms. Public Knowledge applauds the new merger guidelines and urges courts to use them to protect consumers from anti-competitive mergers.
The following can be attributed to Charlotte Slaiman, Vice President at Public Knowledge:
“The final 2023 Merger Guidelines have the potential to usher in a new economy where competition thrives, to the benefit of consumers, workers, and small businesses. After months of stakeholder engagement and hard work of numerous experts, the FTC and DOJ have published a historic document for the future of antitrust law. The final guidelines reflect some important clarifications and incorporate feedback from the unprecedented number of public comments. I look forward to the future enforcement actions that can be built from the strong foundation set by these guidelines.”
You may view testimony by Charlotte Slaiman on vertical mergers before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights. Ms. Slaiman also participated in the official FTC workshops discussing the guidelines and their potential impact, which you may view in the video.
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