The ACCC will examine the expanding ecosystems of digital platform service providers in Australia as part of its’ five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry.
Large digital platform service providers, like Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook) and Microsoft, continue to invest heavily across different sectors and technologies, creating a web of interconnected products and services.
“Australian consumers and businesses are increasingly reliant on the products and services offered by digital platforms so it’s crucial we examine how these companies are expanding their reach,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Digital Platforms Branch is conducting a five-year inquiry into markets for the supply of digital platform services and their impacts on competition and consumers. The inquiry has focused on the dominant players in the market, including Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.
Google: ACCC inquiry on market dominance in the search engine market in Australia
The ACCC is examining the use of its market power to favour its own products and services over competitors. In December 2021, the ACCC released a draft code of conduct for digital platforms, which includes a range of measures aimed at promoting competition in the search engine market.
Amazon: Examining behaviour and dominance in the online retail market.
In March 2022, the ACCC released a draft code of conduct for digital platforms, which includes a range of measures aimed at promoting competition in the online retail market. The code includes provisions requiring digital platforms to provide users with a choice of online marketplaces and to ensure that third-party sellers have access to the same data and tools as the platform's own retail operations. The code is currently open for public consultation.
Apple: The inquiry focused on Apple's dominance in the app store market
In December 2021 and September 2022, the ACCC released a draft code of conduct for digital platforms, which includes a range of measures aimed at promoting competition in the app store market. The code includes provisions requiring digital platforms to provide users with a choice of app stores and to ensure that third-party developers have access to the same tools and data as the platform's own apps
Meta: Reviewing its dominance and behaviour in the social media market
In December 2021, the ACCC released a draft code of conduct for digital platforms, which includes a range of measures aimed at promoting competition in the social media market. The code includes provisions requiring digital platforms to provide users with a choice of social media platforms and to ensure that third-party developers have access to the same data and tools as the platform's own services
Microsoft: Commission examined the expansion strategies and how this has affected interoperability of products and services across ecosystems
In September 2022, the ACCC released a draft code of conduct for digital platforms, which includes a range of measures aimed at promoting competition in the desktop operating system market. The code includes provisions requiring digital platforms to provide users with a choice of operating systems and to ensure that third-party developers have access to the same tools and data as the platform's own services. The code is currently open for public consultation.
Updates
In summary the most significant reports released throughout this inquiry program conducted by the ACCC were published on 28 October 2021, with the release of the third interim report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry, which examined market dynamics and consumer choice screens in search services and web browsers. The fourth interim report for the Digital Platform Services inquiry, which examined general online retail marketplaces, released in April 2002. And on 11 November 2022, when the fifth interim report was released with recommendations, on a range of new measures to address harms from digital platforms to Australian consumers, small businesses and competition.
Overall, the ongoing ACCC inquiry has continued to highlight the significant market power held by dominant players in the digital platform industry in Australia. The inquiry has identified a range of concerns regarding the competition in these markets and the impact on consumers.
