U.K. competition authority asks for comments regarding proposed Amazon-iRobot deal

By Scott Kanowsky 

Investing.com -- The British competition watchdog has said it is asking for comments regarding Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) proposed acquisition of Roomba-maker iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT), becoming the latest antitrust regulator to scrutinize the $1.7 billion deal.

In a statement on Thursday, the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority noted that it is still considering whether the transaction, if completed, would result in a "substantial lessening" in market share currently held by the two companies' peers.

"To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the transaction from any interested party," it said.

Amazon's possible bid for iRobot, known for its Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaners, is already facing a probe from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Consumer advocates have alleged that Amazon could sell Roombas at a loss to drive firms making similar products out of business. They also claim that the Roomba may give Amazon access to home layouts and lifestyle patterns that the tech giant could then combine with its vast trove of user data to muscle out competition in the e-commerce space.

Meanwhile, the European Union has sent Amazon a number of questions regarding the planned purchase, according to a report in the Financial Times in February.

At the time, Amazon said it was "working cooperatively with the relevant regulators in their review of the merger," but did not comment on the report.