Australia: ACCC welcomes response to Digital Platforms Inquiry

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to adopting the key recommendations from its Digital Platforms Inquiry, which will help address the impact of digital platforms on Australian consumers, business, and society.

The Government’s immediate commitments and roadmap for reform address the ACCC’s main competition and consumer priorities, including concerns about privacy and the use of data.

The ACCC will continue its work in digital platform markets through the establishment of a permanent Digital Platforms Branch. This will enable continuous and consistent scrutiny of digital platforms, and current and future consumer and competition law enforcement cases.

In addition, the ACCC will start a new inquiry into the digital advertising tech supply chain, focusing on digital display ads. “We are delighted that the Government has recognised the significance of the ACCC’s findings on the impact of the leading digital platforms on competition, consumer, privacy, media and advertising markets,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. 

“We’re proud that Australia will now be one of the first countries in the world to develop such a comprehensive roadmap for broad reforms relating to digital platforms.

“Google and Facebook have grown to have almost unfettered market power with significant impacts on consumers that must be addressed.”

The Government’s response includes tasking the ACCC to oversee the development of a new code that will address the inherent power imbalance between platforms and media companies in Australia.

Full Content: ACCC

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