Dan Ives Says Big Tech M&A Is Back 'After A Dark Period' As FTC Wipes Over 300 Lina Khan-Era Blog Posts Criticizing Amazon, Microsoft, And Others

On Tuesday, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said big tech’s merger and acquisition activity is ramping up again, following years of regulatory pressure under former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.

What Happened: “In our view with Lina Khan gone at the FTC, the M&A engines are back underway in Big Tech after a dark period for tech M&A,” Ives wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Google kicks off the M&A cycle today with the Wiz deal, which is important for cybersecurity and just the start of a massive consolidation period.”

See Also: Investors Shouldn’t ‘Run To The Hills’ Over Tariffs: Dan Ives Points To 8 AI Stocks ‘To Own’

Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL, Google’s parent company, has reached an agreement to acquire cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32 billion in an all-cash transaction.

This landmark deal, aimed at strengthening Google’s cloud business amid intense competition, marks the company’s largest acquisition to date and stands as the biggest transaction of 2025 so far.

That same day, Wired reported that the FTC had removed more than 300 blog posts written during Khan’s tenure, including several critical of tech giants like Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Microsoft Corporation MSFT for their data practices.

Why It’s Important: The shift in the FTC’s stance comes amid significant changes in its leadership and approach to tech regulation. President Donald Trump appointed Andrew Ferguson as the new FTC chair in a potential shift toward a less aggressive stance on antitrust enforcement. 

Meanwhile, the FTC’s latest actions, such as the ban on General Motors from sharing driver data and the lawsuit against PepsiCo for alleged price discrimination, highlight the agency’s ongoing focus on data privacy and fair competition.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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