United States of America: President revoked Executive Order 14036 on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, including merger control regulation

On 13 August 2025, the President of the United States issued an Executive Order revoking Executive Order 14036 of 9 July 2021 on promoting competition in the American economy. The Order aimed to ensure competition in the digital sphere through stricter oversight of mergers involving large technology companies, including serial acquisitions, acquisitions of emerging competitors, and transactions resulting in significant data accumulation, with consideration of their potential effects on user privacy. The Order encouraged the Federal Trade Commission to develop rules addressing unfair competition in online markets, reinstate net neutrality rules, regulate surveillance and data collection practices, and promote competition through the establishment of the White House Competition Council to coordinate initiatives across federal agencies. The repeal specifies that it does not affect statutory powers of federal entities or the Office of Management and Budget, and must be implemented in compliance with applicable laws and subject to available appropriations.