UK NVIDIA probe details revealed as Arm acquisition remains in limbo

What you need to know

• NVIDIA has struggled to win over the EU and China in its continued attempt to acquire Arm.
• The UK serves as another roadblock, with antitrust regulators probing the graphics card maker on its plans.
• Now, the initial probe report has been released to the public, along with news of an escalated investigation.

It's public knowledge that NVIDIA hasn't been having the easiest go of it when it comes to acquiring Arm and moving on with its corporate life. Regulators all over the world have been giving the company new obstacles to overcome, alongside a vocal assortment of rival businesses who don't like the sound of the acquisition. And now, we have a better look than ever before at how the UK feels about the situation thanks to a newly publicized report from July 20, 2021, entitled "A report to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport on the anticipated acquisition by NVIDIA Corporation of Arm Limited." Quite a long name!

You can find the report here. It highlights the various concerns associated with the deal, alongside other relevant items related to NVIDIA's Arm efforts. Here's a choice quote from the document: "The CMA concluded that it would not be appropriate to deal with the competition concerns identified by way of undertakings in lieu of a reference to a phase 2 investigation." (CMA stands for Competition and Markets Authority.)

Related to the release of the report, UK Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries ordered that the merger be escalated to a phase two probe. In other words, NVIDIA's troubles are far from over.

The EU is also giving NVIDIA a hard time, after stalling proceedings thanks to summer vacation. And lest anyone forget, China's regulatory bordies can be a difficult hurdle to clear.