Antitrust regulators now get more data from merging companies, earlier

The US antitrust agencies changed the rules for companies planning to merge. They now demand more detailed information and documents when companies first notify the government of a deal. This means regulators can conduct a more thorough initial review to spot potential antitrust problems, making it harder for companies to hide issues until later stages.

Companies planning big mergers often submitted minimal information to antitrust regulators at the start. This meant regulators frequently had to issue a "Second Request" for more data, which delayed the review process and cost both sides time and money. Now, companies must hand over more documents and details from the very beginning. This lets the government spot potential competition problems faster, making it harder for companies to push through mergers that might harm consumers.