The following statement can be attributed to George Rakis, Executive Director for NextGen Competition (nextgencomp.tech):

The Competition and Markets Authority's opposition to the merger presents a significant challenge to the deal that is likely to drag out for months. Any proposal from Microsoft that includes a divestiture in the UK would not only trigger a fresh review, but would also fall significantly short of addressing CMA's concerns. Any reversal by the CMA would be an unprecedented u-turn from the theory of harm articulated in its final report. We urge the CMA to stand strong in the face of unrelenting pressure from the world’s 2nd most valuable corporation. Consumers, competition, and a healthy economy depend on it.

About NextGen Competition

Our mission is to support a robust and competitive technology ecosystem by opposing anti-competitive business practices and promoting greater industry accountability. Specifically, we oppose consolidation in the industry that undermines worker protections and employer accountability, threatens data privacy and security, encourages market concentration, and limits consumer choice. NextGen Competition intends to work with a broad coalition of unions and public interest partners as it seeks to oppose anti-competitive business practices.