Amazon-MGM seen winning antitrust nod as tech critics cry foul

Amazon is the second-largest paid streaming service in the world behind Netflix Inc, and the MGM acquisition will give it more than 4,000 movies and 17,000 TV shows, including Rocky, RoboCop and The Handmaid’s Tale. — AFP

Amazon.com Inc’s takeover of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is sparking fresh criticism about the spreading tentacles of America’s technology giants, but the deal underscores how competition watchdogs have their hands tied when it comes to curbing the companies’ growth.

Critics of tech firms in Washington on Wednesday slammed the MGM deal as the latest example of how the industry’s biggest players snap up companies to expand their reach, even as they face a flurry of antitrust lawsuits and moves by lawmakers to rein them in.