Amazon calls off its $1.7 billion purchase of iRobot amid antitrust challenges

Amazon and Roomba-maker iRobot announced on Monday morning they would scrap their planned $1.7 billion acquisition, after the European Commission said the deal would restrict competition in robot vacuums. Tech is not your friend. We are. Sign up for The Tech Friend newsletter. The companies abandoned the deal amid rising legal challenges to tech mergers, as regulators around the world raise concerns about the ways large tech companies have built their dominance by buying up smaller competitors. “We’re disappointed that Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot could not proceed,” said David Zapolsky,...