Human rights activists called for blocking the deal between Amazon and IROBOT

26 public organizations and human rights groups called on the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block the acquisition by Amazon by the IROBOT robot and $ 1.7 billion.

In the open letter Fight for the Future, Public Citizen, Athena and other organizations called the IROBOT absorption anti -competitive. In their opinion, the transaction may damage the consumer technology Cryptocurrency market as a whole.

“Amazon seeks to unreasonably expand its market power, eliminating the opponent by acquiring, not organic growth. The company also seeks to minimize honest competition using consumer data inaccessible to other market participants, ”activists said.

Human rights activists are afraid that Amazon can unlawfully use detailed video shooting of customer houses collected by IROBOT devices. According to them, the acquisition will allow technical giant to gain access to “extremely secret facts” about the most personal places that cannot be collected in other ways.

As an example, the group indicated the absorption of Amazon manufacturer of smart devices for the Ring home in 2018. Activists argue that in three years a successful and growing startup has turned into “King of Smart door calls”, as the technical gigant promoted its products through its “ubiquitous” platform at prices below the market.

Activists warned the regulator that IRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners could go along the same way. According to them, if Amazon push the product to dominate through anti -competitive pricing and picks up data from the devices, then “will further strengthen its monopoly power in the digital economy”.

Earlier, FTC began checking the Amazon transaction with IROBOT to make sure that it violates the US antimonopoly legislation.

Recall that in July the European Parliament adopted bills governing companies in the field of confidentiality, algorithms and competition.

In September, the White House outlined six principles of reforming the platforms of technical gigants to contain their influence.

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