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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Amazon said it was “disappointed” when the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a formal inquiry into its partnership with Anthropic in August 2024. The inquiry was not a finding of wrongdoing: in its phase-one decision, issued on 27 September and published on 17 October 2024, the CMA concluded that the partnership did not qualify as a relevant merger situation under the Enterprise Act 2002.
Why Amazon said it was disappointed
Amazon’s response concerned the CMA’s decision to continue examining the partnership rather than end its probe. In a statement reported by CRN on 8 August 2024, the company said: “Amazon’s collaboration with Anthropic does not raise any competition concerns or meet the CMA’s own threshold for review.” CRN also reported that Amazon was “disappointed” the CMA had not ended the inquiry. Those were Amazon’s characterizations, not findings by the regulator.
What the CMA investigated
The CMA sought views in April 2024 on several AI partnerships, including Amazon’s relationship with Anthropic. In August it opened a formal merger inquiry under the UK’s Enterprise Act 2002 framework. It asked whether the partnership created a relevant merger situation and, if so, whether it had resulted in or might be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition in a UK market. Opening an inquiry was an investigatory step, not a conclusion that competition had been harmed or that either company had broken the law. The CMA case record sets out the inquiry and its scope.
What the CMA decided
The CMA’s phase-one decision was issued on 27 September 2024 and published in full on 17 October 2024. It concluded that Amazon’s partnership with Anthropic did not qualify as a relevant merger situation. The decision addressed the legal threshold for a merger review; it should not be described as a finding that every possible competition concern in AI markets had been disproved. The CMA’s full decision provides the formal outcome and partnership details.
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How the CMA assessed the partnership
The CMA considered whether elements of the partnership, taken together, could give Amazon material influence over Anthropic. The arrangement included Amazon investment that could convert into non-voting equity in certain circumstances; that feature alone does not establish control or influence. The CMA’s decision summary states that Anthropic’s UK turnover did not exceed £70 million and that, on the evidence available, the parties did not together hold 25% or more of any description of goods or services supplied in the UK. These are specific factors in the CMA’s phase-one assessment, not general measures of the companies’ global positions or the size of the AI market.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much Amazon invested
Amazon’s investment in Anthropic totaled $4 billion across two announced tranches: $1.25 billion in September 2023 and a further $2.75 billion in March 2024. The CMA’s announcement and decision materials describe the investment and partnership. The amount invested is context for the inquiry, but it does not by itself establish that Amazon acquired control of Anthropic.
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