Giphy – 12/23/2021 – Facebook appeals UK decision to sell Tec

A Meta, the owner of Facebook, Giphy appeals to Britain’s decision to sell animated imagery site, sources do not support the conclusion that this deal could threaten its competitors or affect competition in graphic advertising.

In November, the British Competition and Markets Commission (CMA) ordered Meta to sell GB. Purchased in May 2020 for $ 400 million, After deciding that the solutions offered by the American company did not respond to their concerns.

This is the first time the British controller Prevented a major acquisition in the industry And it signifies a radical change in him Position in large technology companies.

“We appeal the CMA’s decision on Giphy and seek suspension of the exemption order,” a Meta spokeswoman said Thursday (23).

Half of the traffic to GB’s largest image library comes from meta sites such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. GIFs are also popular among Digtok, Twitter and Snapshot users, and the CMA is concerned that it could restrict meta access or force competitors to provide more user data.

The company said it could not alter competitors’ access rules or collect additional data from the use of GIFs that do not have online tracking mechanisms such as pixels or cookies.

The CMA rejected this appeal and offered to bind the meta legally because it would require continued monitoring.

The regulator expressed concern that the meta could close Giphy’s new advertising deal and remove potential sources of competition.

The company said that Giphy’s advertising business had failed and that if it had the potential to become a major competitor, its model could be replicated by any other GIF provider.