Bulletins

DOJ looks to review Zoom, Five9 merger over China ties

Zoom has "made filings with the various applicable regulatory agencies, and these approval processes are proceeding as expected," a spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal.

Zoom

Zoom is trying to acquire Five9 for $14.7 billion.

(Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The Justice Department is requesting a review of Zoom's $14.7 billion purchase of Five9 over potential national security concerns due to the teleconferencing provider's connections to China, according to a letter on the FCC's website first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Given the potential issues "raised by the foreign participation ... associated with the application," such review is "necessary to assess and make an appropriate recommendation," the DOJ wrote. Zoom is also under federal investigation in New York and California over its ties to the Chinese government, it disclosed in a recent regulatory filing.

In a statement to the WSJ, a Zoom spokesperson said the company has "made filings with the various applicable regulatory agencies, and these approval processes are proceeding as expected."

Joe Williams

Joe Williams is a writer-at-large at Protocol. He previously covered enterprise software for Protocol, Bloomberg and Business Insider. Joe can be reached at JoeWilliams@Protocol.com. To share information confidentially, he can also be contacted on a non-work device via Signal (+1-309-265-6120) or JPW53189@protonmail.com.

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