Tech
Australian govt probes Google, Facebook
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is concerned about the market power held by Google and Facebook, their impact on businesses and the extent to which consumers’ data are collected and used to enable targeted advertising.
In a preliminary report into Google and Facebook, the nation’s competition watchdog released 11 preliminary recommendations and eight areas for further analysis as the inquiry continues.
The ACCC has reached the view that Google has substantial market power in online search, search advertising and news referral, and Facebook has substantial market power in markets for social media, display advertising and online news referral.
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The report outlines the ACCC’s concerns regarding the market power held by these key platforms, including their impact on Australian businesses and, in particular, on the ability of media businesses to monetise their content. The report also outlines concerns regarding the extent to which consumers’ data is collected and used to enable targeted advertising.
“Digital platforms have significantly transformed our lives, the way we communicate with each other and access news and information. We appreciate that many of these changes have been positive for consumers in relation to the way they access news and information and how they interact with each other and with businesses,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
“But digital platforms are also unavoidable business partners for many Australian businesses. Google and Facebook perform a critical role in enabling businesses, including online news media businesses, to reach consumers. However, the operation of these platforms’ key algorithms, in determining the order in which content appears, is not at all clear.”
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