The Austrian Competition Authority appeals against the decision of the Cartel Court granting conditional merger approval for a merger between a Big Tech company and a GIF library (Meta / Giphy)

Meta (Facebook)/Giphy merger: AFCA appealing against conditional clearance* On 17 August 2021, the Austrian Federal Competition Authority (AFCA) filed a request with the Cartel Court (Z-5549) for an in-depth examination of the merger due to competition concerns (Phase II). The Cartel Court approved the merger subject to conditions. On 3 March 2022, the AFCA appealed against this decision to the Supreme Court of Justice sitting as the Supreme Cartel Court. Background information Giphy Inc. (“Giphy”) is a US provider of a searchable GIF library whose GIFs and stickers can be accessed through many of the most popular social media platforms in Austria via an API. Meta Platforms Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc., recently renamed “Meta”) acquired Giphy in May 2020, exceeding the statutory