Assa Abloy’s move to outflank a US Department of Justice attempt to block the Swedish-based conglomerate’s acquisition of a Spectrum Brands unit has sparked a heated debate. After the DOJ moved to block the deal, amid competition concerns, Assa Abloy announced it was ready to divest two of its divisions to scupper the DOJ’s competition concerns. But its next move was to take those remedies to a court — a move dubbed “litigating the fix.” The tactic is likely to advance federal caselaw and may set the stage for future clashes, as the US’s antitrust agencies strengthen their position on remedies.

As one of Australia’s top antitrust lawyers, Gina Cass-Gottlieb had a reputation for being calm, measured and in control — honing a consensus-based leadership style that appears to have served her well. Now, as the head of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, Cass-Gottlieb’s sang froid will be put to the test, as the competition enforcer grapples with its criminal-cartel enforcement agenda, while taking on well-resourced tech companies and holding payment companies up to scrutiny. In an extended interview with MLex’s Sydney-based correspondent Laurel Henning, Cass-Gottlieb discusses both how she got to where she is and the way forward for her agency.

Why would US automakers be taking such a close interest in privacy policy in the US? The answer is simple: smart cars. The personal data generated by the next generation of connected vehicles means that, as data harvesters, carmakers will be comparable to smartphone makers and app developers. And with state governments developing their own privacy legislation, the auto industry is doing what it can to ensure that the management of the data vehicles collect isn’t caught up in restrictive regulation.

Today’s podcast brings together MLex financial-services reporters around the globe to discuss our most recent special report, covering the regulation of crypto assets and policies that address sustainable finance.

Google has found itself fighting essentially the same battle in two different courts against two different coalitions of enforcers. In so doing, the search giant is exposing itself to a potential court loss that could see it forced to divest parts of its digital advertising business. Meanwhile, Google is also alone among the tech giants in its adversarial relationship with California’s attorney general.

Meta Platforms can expect a bruising 2023 when it comes to data protection enforcement in Europe, with a series of cases taking aim at its business model and the possibility of more hefty fines and settlements on the horizon. And in the United States, the road ahead is just as rough, with the company agreeing to pay $725 million to settle claims relating to its decision to allow apps on Facebook’s platform to access users’ personal data. Yet with the tech company’s access to data now being challenged worldwide, the hefty fines may prove to be the least of the tech giant’s problems.

The Year of the Rabbit will play out against an interesting background for Chinese antitrust policy and enforcement. On the one hand, the government will be keen to kickstart the economy, following the abandonment of the zero-Covid policy — leading to enforcement being dialed down. Yet competition policy is likely to remain prominent, as the government moves to create a more competitive environment for businesses. In today’s special podcast to mark the start of 2023, our correspondent, Yonnex Li, ponders what the year is likely to bring.

On today’s 2023 preview podcast, our London-based financial-crime reporter, Martin Coyle, walks us through some of the legislative and enforcement changes that lie ahead, both in the UK and internationally. And top of the agenda: the departure of the UK Serious Fraud Office head, Lisa Osofsky, whose tenure had become mired in controversy.

The issue of how best to regulate cryptocurrencies came to the fore in 2022, with the spectacular implosion of crypto-exchange FTX prompting plenty of soul-searching. The upheaval appears to have paved the way for what is likely to be the big regulatory story of 2023: how best to rein in the excesses of the new ledger-based technologies. Yet as officials around the globe grapple with the challenge, our London-based reporter Phoebe Seers tells us there’s no clear path forward.

With several antitrust battles between the European Commission and Big Tech likely to come to a head in 2023, the next 12 months are likely to tell us something about the legacy of the bloc’s antitrust chief. In this special podcast to mark the start of 2023, Nicholas Hirst ponders the challenges facing Vestager, as she nears the end of what’s expected to be her final term as the EU’s competition commissioner.