Online platforms and digital advertising market study – GOV.UK

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The Competition and Markets Authority has completed its market study into online platforms and the digital advertising market in the UK.
email: onlineplatforms@cma.gov.uk
Any media enquiries should be directed to press@cma.gov.uk.
1 July 2020: We have published the final report of our market study into online platforms and digital advertising. We have found that competition is not working well in these markets, leading to substantial harm for consumers and society as a whole.
We recommend that the government passes legislation to establish a new pro-competition regulatory regime.
Final report (1.7.20)
Appendix A: the legal framework (1.7.20)
Appendix B: summary of responses to our interim report consultation (1.7.20)
Appendix C: market outcomes (1.7.20)
Appendix D: profitability of Google and Facebook (1.7.20)
Appendix E: ecosystems of Google and Facebook (1.7.20)
Appendix F: the role of data in digital advertising (1.7.20)
Appendix G: the role of tracking in digital advertising (1.7.20)
Appendix H: default positions in search (1.7.20)
Appendix I: search quality and economies of scale (1.7.20)
Appendix J: Facebook Platform and API access (1.7.20)
Appendix K: consumer controls over platforms’ data collection (1.7.20)
Appendix L: summary of research on consumers’ attitudes and behaviour (1.7.20)
Appendix M: intermediation in open display advertising (1.7.20)
Appendix N: understanding advertiser demand for digital advertising (1.7.20)
Appendix O: measurement issues in digital advertising (1.7.20)
Appendix P: specialised search (1.7.20)
Appendix Q: exploitation of market power (1.7.20)
Appendix R: fees in the adtech stack (1.7.20)
Appendix S: the relationship between large digital platforms and publishers (1.7.20)
Appendix T: our approach to assessing data remedies (1.7.20)
Appendix U: supporting evidence for the code of conduct (1.7.20)
Appendix V: assessment of pro-competition interventions in general search (1.7.20)
Appendix W: assessment of pro-competition interventions in social media (1.7.20)
Appendix X: assessment of pro-competition interventions to enable consumer choice over personalised advertising (1.7.20)
Appendix Y: choice architecture and Fairness by Design (1.7.20)
Appendix Z: assessment of potential data-related interventions in digital advertising markets (1.7.20)
Appendix ZA: assessment of potential pro-competition interventions to address market power in open display advertising (1.7.20)
Glossary (1.7.20)
Press release: New regime needed to take on tech giants (1.7.20)
17 January 2020: The CMA has published a notice (served 10 January 2020) of a penalty imposed on AppNexus Europe Limited under section 174A of the Enterprise Act 2002. The CMA imposed the penalty for a failure to comply, without reasonable excuse, with the requirements imposed on AppNexus Europe Limited by a notice issued by the CMA under section 174 of the Enterprise Act 2002.
18 December 2019: We have published an update on our online platforms and digital advertising market study, setting out our initial findings, including the concerns we have identified and the potential interventions we are considering.
We are inviting comments on our report, including on our proposal not to make a market investigation reference at this stage, by 5pm on 12 February 2020.
3 July 2019: The CMA has launched a market study into online platforms and the digital advertising market in the UK. We are assessing three broad potential sources of harm to consumers in connection with the market for digital advertising:
We are inviting comments by 30 July 2019 on the issues raised in the statement of scope, including from interested parties such as online platforms, advertisers, publishers, intermediaries within the ad tech stack, representative professional bodies, government and consumer groups.
The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its market studies under the Enterprise Act 2002. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, see the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.
This study is part of the CMA’s Digital Markets Strategy, which sets out our broad approach to protecting consumers in the digital economy while ensuring robust, competitive digital markets.
Final report, appendices, glossary and quantitative research report published.
Responses to interim report published.
Penalty notice published.
Interim report published.
Additional response to the Statement of Scope published.
Additional response to Statement of Scope published.
Responses to Statement of Scope published.
First published.
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