Salesforce has asked EU regulators to block Microsoft's acquisition of business networking company LinkedIn, citing it to be "anticompetitive." The company's Chief Legal Officer Burke Norton claims that the deal raises "significant" issues concerning data privacy and antitrust.
USA Today quoted Norton stating that the acquisition may lead to the curtailment of competition and innovation. He claims that the deal, which encompasses a unique dataset consisting of 450 professionals from over 200 countries, gives an "unfair competitive advantage" to Microsoft.
Microsoft has denied any such allegations. The company said that the deal has already been cleared to close in various countries including the US, Canada, and Brazil.
Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith claims that the deal will help Microsoft to bring "price competition to a CRM market in which Salesforce is the dominant participant charging customers higher prices today."
The European Commission is currently reviewing the deal. It is also seeking comments from multiple companies as part of its review. Salesforce's remarks are likely to add to the ongoing feud between the two companies. Microsoft and Salesforce signed a global strategic partnership in 2014.
Microsoft announced its acquisition of LinkedIn in June. The company has already merged its suite of productivity services with LinkedIn's database. The deal is worth $26.2 billion and is one of the biggest-ever acquisitions made by Microsoft. Both companies expect the deal to be finalized by the end of this year, pending regulatory approval.