Digital Markets

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By Miranda Cole, Jennifer Boudet and Jérôme de Ponsay

With the European Commission’s recent Digital Single Market (“DSM”) Strategy for the European Union (“EU”) announcements (including several legislative proposals and a Communication on Online Platforms and the Digital Market), a number of the Member States are also very active on the issues.

Since the German…

On 17 June, the UK Competition & Markets Authority (“CMA”) published its report on the commercial use of consumer data collected by companies.  The CMA began its review of the issue with a call for information in January.

In short, the CMA concludes that, while consumer data presents some characteristics that sets it apart from other data, these characteristics are not unique to consumer data and the markets in which it is collected and used.  As a result, existing competition and market tools are effective to tackle conduct that may give rise to competition concerns in these markets.  The German Monopolies Commission reached a similar conclusion in its digital markets report published on 6 June.…

Continue Reading UK CMA Publishes its Report on Commercial Use of Consumer Data

Digital markets are currently the focus of much attention in the European Union (“EU”).  The European Commission recently unveiled its Digital Single Market Strategy, which incorporates DG COMP’s e-commerce sector inquiry.

The issue of the regulation of digital markets, potentially beyond the application of competition law, is also being discussed at national level.  On 1 June 2015, the German Monopolies Commission (“MC”) published its report on digital markets (“Competition Policy: The challenge of digital markets”), with a summary in English.  Generally, the MC takes the position that there is no need for a significant modification of the current legal framework, but suggests increased enforcement of the rules.  In an interesting coincidence of timing, Commissioner Vestager recently expressed caution about adopting new regulation of online platforms that might be overtaken by market developments.  This post provides an overview of the key elements of the MC report.
Continue Reading German Monopolies Commission Publishes its Report on Digital Markets