House and Senate Democrats ask FTC to reconsider Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot

Amazon’s Potential Acquisition of iRobot Faces Political Opposition

Political Concerns

Amazon’s attempt to acquire iRobot is facing political pushback from Democrats such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and several House Representatives. They are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block the purchase, citing concerns about iRobot’s dominance in the robot vacuum market and the potential stifling of competition by Amazon’s vast resources.

History of Acquisitions

There are worries about Amazon’s track record of acquiring technology companies and then using their products exclusively. Examples include Kiva Systems and their robots, as well as Blink and Ring, which helped Amazon establish dominance in the US video doorbell market. Additionally, Amazon has been accused of unfairly leveraging third-party seller data to promote its own products.

It remains uncertain whether the FTC will intervene in the iRobot deal, especially with iRobot already holding a significant market share. The entry of Amazon could indeed present challenges for competitors like Shark and Eufy.

An Amazon spokesperson has dismissed the claims of the politicians as “falsehoods” and expressed readiness to collaborate with regulators to ensure fair competition in any potential deal.