Austria: Austrian Cartel Court approves Facebook/Giphy merger

On 7 February 2022, the Austrian Cartel Court approved the Meta (Facebook)/Giphy merger based on several conditions. According to the court decision, Meta, previously Facebook, will have to provide non-discriminatory access to Giphy’s products and libraries to its competitors for five years and report to an appointee its compliance with the order. On 17 August 2021, the Austrian Federal Competition Authority had opened a phase 2 investigation into the acquisition of Giphy by Facebook, bringing the case before the Cartel Court based on concerns that the acquisition will increase Facebook's dominant position in the social media and online advertising market.