EU Antitrust Regulators to Decide on Google’s Wiz Deal by February 10

Jan 9, 2026 - 04:00

European Union antitrust regulators have set February 10, 2026, as the deadline to decide whether to approve Alphabet’s $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity company Wiz—marking the tech giant’s largest deal in its 26-year history. The decision, announced via a filing on the European Commission website, represents a critical juncture for Google’s cloud computing ambitions and could set important precedents for future technology mergers in an era of heightened regulatory scrutiny.

The Deal That Could Reshape Cloud Security

Google announced the Wiz acquisition in March 2025 as part of a strategic push to strengthen its position in the fiercely competitive cloud computing market against rivals Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. The all-cash transaction would bring Wiz, a New York-based cloud security platform founded in 2020, under the Google Cloud umbrella. Wiz provides security monitoring across multiple cloud environments, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud, serving more than half of the Fortune 100 companies including BMW, Salesforce, DocuSign, and Priceline.

The acquisition represents a significant bet on two converging trends: the rapid growth of cybersecurity threats in the artificial intelligence era and the widespread adoption of multicloud strategies by enterprises. With Wiz’s annualized recurring revenue reportedly reaching $700 million and the company valued at $12 billion in its last funding round, Google is paying a substantial premium to secure a leadership position in cloud-native application protection.

Regulatory Scrutiny and Competitive Concerns

The European Commission, which serves as the EU’s competition enforcer, has three potential paths forward. It can approve the deal without conditions during the preliminary review, approve it with concessions to address competitive concerns, or open a full-scale Phase II investigation if serious anticompetitive issues emerge. A deeper investigation could delay the transaction well into 2026 or potentially reshape the deal’s structure entirely.

The scrutiny reflects broader concerns about dominant technology companies further consolidating their market power through acquisitions. Academic researchers have raised alarms about the deal, drawing parallels to Google’s 2008 acquisition of DoubleClick, which critics argue enabled the company’s subsequent monopolization of digital advertising markets. Researcher Aline Blankertz called for urgent regulatory attention, stating it would be “completely absurd not to open a phase II given the huge anti-competitive concerns about the deal.”

Competitors and industry observers worry that Google’s ownership of Wiz could lead to preferential treatment for Google Cloud Platform users at the expense of organizations using AWS, Azure, or other cloud providers. Despite Google’s assurances that Wiz will continue operating independently across all major clouds, concerns persist about potential market foreclosure and reduced innovation in the multicloud security space.

A Second Chance at the Altar

The current $32 billion agreement represents Google’s second attempt to acquire Wiz. In summer 2024, Google offered approximately $23 billion for the cybersecurity startup, but CEO Assaf Rappaport rejected the proposal, citing concerns about regulatory approval and expressing his company’s intention to pursue an initial public offering instead. The decision was described as “the toughest decision ever” but appears prescient given the significantly higher valuation Google ultimately agreed to pay.

The revised deal includes a $3.2 billion termination fee should the acquisition fail, suggesting both parties are hedging against regulatory challenges. The agreement reportedly allows Wiz to continue operating independently even during protracted antitrust litigation, addressing some of the autonomy concerns that complicated earlier negotiations.

US Approval Sets the Stage

The transaction already secured approval from US antitrust authorities in November 2025, when the Department of Justice ended its review early—an unusual move that effectively removed the most immediate threat to the deal in Google’s home market. The acquisition also received clearance from Saudi Arabian antitrust regulators. However, the European decision remains crucial, as the EU has historically taken a more aggressive stance on technology mergers and market concentration issues.

The timing is particularly sensitive for Google, which faces mounting antitrust pressure on multiple fronts. US courts have recently ruled that the company illegally monopolized markets for online search and advertising technology, raising the prospect of structural remedies that could fundamentally reshape Google’s business model. The Wiz acquisition, while attracting less political attention than those cases, serves as a test of whether Google can still execute large-scale acquisitions in an environment of aggressive antitrust enforcement.

Implications for the Cloud Security Market

Industry analysts suggest that approval could trigger a wave of consolidation in the cybersecurity sector, as companies seek to match Google’s expanded capabilities. Conversely, a more restrictive approach would signal the EU’s commitment to maintaining competitive, multicloud ecosystems and could deter similar mega-deals in the technology sector.

As the February 10 deadline approaches, all eyes are on Brussels. The Commission’s decision will not only determine the fate of Google’s largest acquisition but also establish important parameters for how regulators balance innovation incentives against competitive concerns in the rapidly evolving cloud computing and cybersecurity markets.