Russia's anti-monopoly service approves Yandex-VK internet deal (updated)

VK

30/08/2022 17:27

(Adds detail)
    MOSCOW, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Russia's federal anti-monopoly
service (FAS) on Tuesday granted approval to technology
companies Yandex  YNDX.O  and VK  VKCOq.L  to proceed with an
asset-swap deal but with some terms aimed at preserving
competition.
    Yandex last week agreed to sell its news aggregator, content
platform Zen and homepage yandex.ru to state-controlled VK in a
move that is expected to tighten the government's grip on the
internet.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2ZZ167
    "The operator of these platforms will be obliged ... to ask
for and receive users' consent to process personal data for each
service separately," the FAS said in a statement. 
    As part of the deal, Yandex will acquire VK's food delivery
service Delivery Club, complementing its own Yandex.Eda. The FAS
said Yandex must not take measures aimed at reducing
restaurants' use of Delivery Club or other third-party services.

 (Reporting by Alexander Marrow
Editing by David Goodman)
 ((alexander.marrow@thomsonreuters.com))