EU receives commitments from Microsoft on LinkedIn deal, set to rule on the merger by December 6th

Back on October 14th of this year, Microsoft had filed for EU approval for their acquisition of the business and employment-oriented social networking service LinkedIn. Salesforce tried to block Microsoft’s 26.2 billion all-cash acquisition of LinkedIn in the EU, citing antitrust issues. Today we have learned that the EU has received commitments from Microsoft on the LinkedIn deal, and will be set to rule on the merger by December 6th (via Reuters.)

While Microsoft has yet to comment on the commitments, the move does come after a EU competition enforcer expressed concerns about the deal at a meeting with Microsoft executives last week. Not many details were provided by the Commission in regards to Microsoft’s commitments, but Reuters mentions that the Commission will seek feedback from rival companies and customers before making a decision on Microsoft’s commitments.

Despite concerns by SalesForce, Microsoft President, and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith, has accepted many the worries in regards to the LinkedIn deal and has recently come out to say that Microsoft has “no intention” of cutting off access to LinkedIn data. There has, however, been lots of news on the LinkedIn front since Microsoft’s acquisition of the company, and as most recent as last week, a LinkedIn ban in Russia was upheld and 6 million users were shut down.

Further reading: Antitrust, EU, LinkedIn, Microsoft