According to the social media company, the CMA should “consider very carefully” a move like forcing a part to sell. Facebook emphasizes that Giphy does not do business in the United Kingdom, although the service is available there. The American company also wonders whether the British regulator can demand the divestment of a company.
–
Facebook has been at odds with the CMA for more than a year because of the acquisition of Giphy last year for 400 million dollars (339 million euros). Facebook had not sought permission from regulators in the UK or elsewhere for this. In March, the CMA rejected a proposal from Facebook that the Giphy library would remain available to the public for five years on the same terms as before the acquisition.
–
Via Giphy, users can often find funny GIF animations with which they can spice up chat conversations or messages on social media. These are relatively simple videos or series of images that are continuously repeated. In the early years of the Internet, they graced many websites, but then they fell into disuse. With the rise of social media, the popularity of the animations grew again.
–
