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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared Alphabet’s Google and cybersecurity company Wiz after it concluded its antitrust review of the deal between them.
This removes a major hurdle from Google’s $32 billion acquisition of the cybersecurity company.
The DOJ’s decision, dated October 24 and disclosed on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website, comes after it announced in June that it was investigating the deal to search for possible breach of antitrust laws. This came roughly two months after the deal was announced.
Wiz’s chief executive officer, Assaf Rappaport, confirmed the latest clearance, saying that while the DOJ had closed its review, the deal remains under examination by other antitrust regulators.
A test for Google’s largest acquisition
Wiz and Google first announced the deal in March 2025, and it is arguably Google’s biggest bet yet on cybersecurity.
Observers say that the acquisition is an essential ingredient to Google Cloud’s long-term strategy of closing the gap with Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.
At $32 billion, the purchase cost more than any of Google’s previous acquisitions, including its 2012 $12.5 billion buyout of Motorola Mobility and its $5.4 billion purchase of cybersecurity firm Mandiant in 2022.
The DOJ reportedly launched a probe to find out if the acquisition would stifle competition in the cloud and cybersecurity markets.
Regulatory clearance amid global antitrust pressure
The DOJ’s decision to end its review comes at a time when Google has been on the hot seat, facing legal and regulatory challenges around the world, especially in the US and Europe.
In the US, the company has found itself on the losing side of two landmark antitrust cases. One of those antitrust issues involved its dominance in online search, and the other in digital advertising technology.
A federal judge in Virginia is expected to rule soon on whether or not Google must divest part of its advertising business, which observers say will affect its revenue significantly.
The DOJ’s green light for the Wiz acquisition may be seen as a welcome, rare reprieve for the tech giant.
The FTC, which handles the administrative side of early termination for itself and the DOJ, had previously stated it would not grant such requests during the government shutdown.
However, the Wiz notice, dated October 24, appeared on the FTC website only after a similar clearance for Pfizer’s pending acquisition of Metsera (which now hangs in the balance) was posted, suggesting the agency made exceptions for select transactions.
What the clearance means for Google Cloud
The DOJ clearance removes a major roadblock to one of Google’s most strategic and largest acquisitions in years. Its cloud division, which has been striving to turn profitable, views cybersecurity as a high-margin area that can help it differentiate from rivals.
Wiz’s technology is expected to boost Google Cloud’s offerings to enterprise customers.
Also, the DOJ’s early termination of its review does not amount to a full endorsement, but it signals that the US government will not stand in the way of one of the year’s most consequential tech deals.
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