DOJ and FTC Revisit Competition Rules Covering Coordination Among Rivals

A senior official at the Justice Department said on Monday that the inquiry will gather public input to help the agencies determine how best to clarify existing antitrust standards. The effort is designed to address how businesses can collaborate without violating competition laws, per Reuters.

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The move comes as companies increasingly rely on firms that compile industry-wide data and provide pricing recommendations to clients. Such practices have drawn attention from regulators concerned about the potential for coordinated behavior that could limit competition. According to Reuters, officials are particularly interested in understanding how emerging technologies and data-driven business models should factor into updated guidance.

The Justice Department and the FTC are inviting comments from the public on the types of modern practices and technological developments that may require clearer rules. Per Reuters, the agencies want feedback on how to address evolving market dynamics that were not contemplated in earlier policy statements.

The prior guidance governing collaborations among competitors was originally issued in 2000. That framework was withdrawn in December 2024 during President Joe Biden’s administration after regulators concluded it no longer reflected current market realities, according to Reuters.

By launching the inquiry, antitrust enforcers signal they are seeking to modernize their approach as data aggregation and algorithmic pricing tools become more common across industries. The agencies have not yet set a timeline for issuing updated guidelines but indicated that public responses will play a central role in shaping the new framework, per Reuters.

Source: Reuters