Adobe's $20B Deal for Figma Reportedly Faces DOJ Opposition
Antitrust regulators are said to be concerned that the deal would reduce options for professional web designers.
The US Department of Justice is reportedly preparing an antitrust lawsuit to block Adobe's $20 billion takeover of web design platform Figma.
The Justice Department is expected to file its lawsuit as soon as next month and has already met with representatives from Adobe, as is customary before it files a lawsuit, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter. The department's antitrust division is reportedly concerned that the merger would reduce options for professional designers.
Adobe touted Figma's widely used collaborative design tools when it announced its effort to acquire the San Francisco-based startup in September. Figma had been the strongest competitor for Adobe's own web design tool, Adobe XD.
Figma lets people design the look of apps and websites and create prototypes that show how users will move through those sites and apps. It has a base level that's offered for free, but companies have to pay for Figma beyond lightweight use.
Adobe defended the deal, saying the two companies "focus on very different areas today." While Figma focuses on interactive product design related to building a collaborative web platform, Adobe's attention is on the creative tools space. The company said it's working with antitrust regulators on closing the deal sometime this year.
The Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.