7 February 2022, Budapest – The European Commission has agreed to impose conditions on Meta, which also owns Facebook, to gain control of Kustomer, an emerging customer relationship management software undertaking. The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) was also involved in the assessment of the competitive impact of the transaction on Hungarian markets.
The European Commission has approved, subject to commitments, the acquisition of control by Meta Inc. of Kustomer Inc. The buyer is the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, while Kustomer, also based in the US, is a small, innovative and fast-growing player in the customer relationship management (CRM) software market. The idea is to integrate the different communication channels (e.g. phone, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram, etc.) and the information needed to manage customer relationships (e.g. purchase history, refunds, complaints) into a single transparent interface, making it easier for undertakings to interact with consumers.
The merger has been referred to the European Commission by a referral from a Member State to further investigate the competitive effects of mergers in digital markets. The Commission's procedures also involve national authorities in the process of assessing potential competition effects. The EU competition authorities - including the GVH - are involved in the procedure through a so-called Advisory Committee and vote on the Commission's draft decision. The GVH will therefore ensure that the effects of transactions on Hungarian markets and consumers are duly taken into account in the EU decision-making processes.
Following an in-depth investigation and subject to commitments, the Commission authorized the concentration. In order to address competition concerns, Meta has committed to provide non-discriminatory access for at least 10 years to all customer relationship management software providers with regard to the IT interfaces necessary to integrate their communication channels. In view of this, the GVH, along with other competition authorities, agreed to accept the Commission's decision.
Press Office of the GVH