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Official Guidelines

UK: CMA publishes final report on online platforms and digital advertising

July 6, 2020
Summary

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) released its final report on 1 July 2020, examining the effectiveness of the markets for search, social media, and digital advertising, particularly focusing on Google and Facebook's roles. The report identifies issues such as limited consumer choice, inadequate compensation for personal data use, and a lack of control over personal data. It recommends the creation of a pro-competition regulatory regime and a Digital Markets Unit to enforce a code of conduct and address market power imbalances. The CMA's Digital Markets Taskforce will provide advice on promoting competition and innovation, and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has expressed support for the report's goals, emphasizing the importance of data control.

CMA report calls for new regulations to address digital market competition and consumer data control issues.

The Competition and Markets Authority ('CMA') published, on 1 July 2020, its final market study report ('the Report') on online platforms and digital advertising. In particular, the Report assesses how well the markets for search, social media, and digital advertising are working, and the role of Google and Facebook within them. Specifically, the Report outlines concerns relating to limited choice and competition, including the fact that consumers receive inadequate compensation for the use of their personal data by online platforms, and are less able to control or understand how their personal data are used and may effectively be faced with a 'take it or leave it' offer when it comes to sig