Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Better late than never: The Italian Competition Authority is investigating Google's AdTech



On October 28, the Italian Competition Authority announced that an investigation of Google’s core business - display advertising - is underway. The Authority claims that Google practices prevent rivals from competing effectively and affect consumers negatively.

For this reason, the Italian Competition Authority opened an investigation against Google for an alleged abuse of dominant position. The undertaking, controlled by Alphabet Inc, might have violated Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union with regard to the availability and use of data for the design of display advertising campaigns, i.e. the space that publishers and website owners make available for the display of advertising content.

The decision comes in a context in which Google is one of the most prominent players in both search advertising and digital display advertising. Moreover, Google is well established in the ad tech stack, capturing over 50% of the market that in 2019, in Italy was valued more than 3.3 billion euros. Unsurprisingly, Google has already had the pleasure of meeting other competition authorities around the world. Lately, in March 2019, the European Commission decided to fine Google € 1.49 billion for abusing its dominant position in the market of online search advertising by restricting users to see Google’s rivals search ads. 

Now, under the lens of the Italian Competition authority there is Google’s display advertising. We are all used to the ads that fill up websites and the feed on social networks. But let’s dig deeper: what is display advertising? The OECD describes it as the text, images, or videos that appear on our screen, be it in advertising boxes or banner ad. What makes this form of advertising so valuable is, basically, us. In terms of user data at least: data concerning the identity of the consumer visiting a website is particularly important for targeting digital display advertising, which cannot rely on user inputs in the same way as search advertising.

Two types of technology have raised the concerns of the Italian competition authority, e.g. the decryption keys of Google ID and the use of pixels. Pixels are small, almost invisible graphics that embed a piece of code that is loaded when a user visits a webpage or opens an email used often by businesses for third party tracking. Actually, what is wrong is not the technology to track user data itself - but the fact that Google is excluding its competitors to access (and benefit from) this data and technologies that enhance the process of targeting ads. Allegedly, Google has engaged in internal-external discrimination by refusing to provide the decryption keys of the Google ID and in excluding the possibility of tracking third-party pixels.

In short, the investigation of the Italian Competition Authority highly emphasizes the role of user data, technology, and the choices of Google regarding these tech. However, our concern as users in the first place, also regards our privacy as consumers. Secondly, the power gained by Google in the digital advertising market through data gathering and the tying of its services and products has created a scenario that favours targeted and invasive advertising with contents - while it is questionable whether or not this adds to the welfare of consumers. Indeed, the problem is not only how much data is being gathered or displayed but also the way these processes are actually taking place.

After all, are we really aware of how much information we disclose? And even if the answer is yes, are we aware of how our data contributes to the value-creating process of tech molochs - Google in the first place? The figures on the profits of Google and the other big-tech giants speak for themselves. But... Do users still enjoy a piece of the cake?

(Alvise, Gianluca, Julia, Lorenzo, Giulia and Daniel - UniTrento Master Students)

German watchdog launches new investigation into Amazon: report

 Reuters, here

French advertising organizations lodge complaint with competition regulator over Apple privacy changes

Digiday, here.  

Google’s display advertising business is under antitrust probe in Italy

 TechCrunch, here

Investigation opened against Google for an alleged abuse of dominant position in the Italian market for display advertising

 


Italian Competition Authority (!), here

Provvedimento qui.

Addictive Social Media: Why We Need Regulation and Competition for Digital Platforms

 ProMarket, here

Technology and Democracy

 JRC, here

Julian Nowag will be "previewing" his excellent OECD Competition and Sustainability Report to my Students next Friday: Join us if interested (the more the merrier, says Julian - and I agree)

9.30am CET, Julian's Report here (email me for the Zoom details simonetta.vezzoso@unitn.it)

Virtual Debate: Interoperability and the EU Digital Markets Act

 Join us, here.

Apple develops alternative to Google search

 Financial Times, here

Merkel drängt Autokonzerne: BMW, Daimler und VW sollen Datenschatz teilen

 Handelsblatt, hier (und hier). 

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

EU vs Big Tech: Leaked Enforcement Plans and the Dutch-French Counterproposal

 EFF, here

Epic claims App Store contract illegal; Facebook Gaming says Apple ‘frustrating’

 9to5mac, here

PlayStation : l’Autorité estime que les engagements proposés par Sony ne répondent pas de façon pertinente aux préoccupations de concurrence identifiées. Le dossier est renvoyé à l’instruction.

Adlc, ici

Big Tech Comes for Podcasts

 G. Gedye, here

Google’s Guardians

 D. Dayen, here

How the Digital Services Act can hold online marketplaces to account

 BEUC, here

Facebook launches cloud games but says Apple won’t allow it on iOS

 CNBC, here

Uber sued for using ‘biased’ customer ratings to fire drivers

Bloomberg, here

Facing Decisions

 A. Danni, here

Four Steps to Rein in Big Tech

 M. Rafi Atal, here. 

And, even juicier, here

Open Letter to European Commission: Request for Trilateral Meeting among Google, the EC, and Alternative Search Engines to Improve Search Preference Menu

DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Lilo, Qwant, Seznam, here

Investigation into data protection compliance in the direct marketing data broking sector

 ICO, here

Friday, October 23, 2020

Got a problem with trust in AI? Just add blockchain, Forrester urges. Then bust out the holographic meetings. Welcome to the future

 The Register, here

Using Market Studies to Tackle Emerging Competition Issues

 OECD, Background Note, here

Sustainability & Competition Law and Policy

 J. Nowag for the OECD, here

Julian will be discussing it with us @unitrento on Oct. 30 at 9:30AM (email me if you'd like to join us).

Digital advertising markets – Background note by the Secretariat

OECD Secretariat, Background note here

Regulatorischer Export – Wie die europäische Datenschutzgrundverordnung globale Datenmärkte beeinflusst

 M. Batikas et al., hier

Why Can’t I Fix My Own Phone, Toaster, or Tractor?

 The Markup, here

Building a Law-and-Political-Economy Framework: Beyond the Twentieth-Century Synthesis

J. Britton-Purdy et al., here.  

A deeply flawed lawsuit that would do nothing to help consumers

 Google, here

Apple Will Remove Fan App That Allowed Stadia Streaming on iOS

 Vice, here

A First Look at U.S. v. Google

 R. Picker, here

Erste Ergebnisse einer Konsultation gewerblicher Plattform-Kunden veröffentlicht

 Bundesnetzagentur, hier

PayPal is shilling crypto on the internet

 FT, here

Ex-Googler Meredith Whittaker on Political Power in Tech, the Flaws of ‘The Social Dilemma,’ and More

 OneZero, here

Gouvernance et régulation des données

Conseil d’État, ici

OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE STRATEGY 2020 – 2023 Think Open

 EC, Communication here

The Justice Dept.’s Lawsuit Against Google: Too Little, Too Late

 K. Swisher, here

Wilson Parking agrees sell building leases, pay costs after investigation

 RNZ, here

European Networking and Training for National Competition Enforcers ENTraNCE for Judges 2019

 EUI, here

A US antitrust suit might break up Google. Good – it's the Standard Oil of our day

 The Guardian, here

As EU Starts To Draft Its Most Important New Online Law, The Digital Services Act, MEPs Want Basic Rights High On The Agenda

TechCrunch, here.  

Google's defense against antitrust lawsuit? You

 CNN, here

SOUVERAINETE EUROPEENNE - Un chemin semé d’embûches

 AGEFI, ici

The Google Case An Explanation and Evaluation for Non-Lawyers

 T. Wu, here

Artificial intelligence and the antitrust case against Google

 VentureBeat, here

Deep fake: il Garante privacy apre un’istruttoria nei confronti di Telegram per il software che "spoglia" le donne

 GPDP, qui

Helen Dixon backs data codes of conduct in life sciences

Out-Law, here

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

DOJ (and 11 -?- States) v. Google

 Complaint here. Official DoJ's announcement here.  Statement of the Attorney General on the Announcement Of Civil Antitrust Lawsuit Filed Against Google, here

Data Governance as a Collective Action Problem

 O. Benfeldt, here

Monday, October 19, 2020

If Facebook and Google limit services in Australia, could the ABC run a social network?

 The Guardian, here

Herover je data

 VPRO.nl, hier

From 6:30, 13:00 for a lively discussion if you want to show some of it to your non-Dutch speaking Students. 

35:02 comes Gaia-X (what else?).

Streamr partner with GSMA to deliver Data Unions to the mobile sector

 Streamr, here

KALEIDOSCOPIC DATA-RELATED ENFORCEMENT IN THE DIGITAL AGE

 S. Yakovleva, here

Data Protection or Data Frustration? Individual perceptions and attitudes towards the GDPR

 J. Strycharz et al., here.

Hoe werkt de platformeconomie?

 SER, hier

An EU framework for artificial intelligence

 EPRS, here

The Gig Economy and Covid-19: Looking Ahead

 Fair Work, here

Friday, October 16, 2020

Why Facebook and Google Face the Most Risk in an Overhaul of Antitrust Law

 Barrons, here

Building Community Network Policies: A Collaborative Governance towards Enabling Frameworks

 L. Belli et al., here

Progress can no longer be measured by growth in GDP

 The 😍 D. Coyle, here

Webinar @Echelle : Évolution du droit de la concurrence allemand : pour un droit de la concurrence 4.0 proactif et axé sur le digital

 Webinar @Echelle  (4 novembre), ici

IAB Europe’s ad tracking consent framework found to fail GDPR standard

 TechCrunch, here

GDPR watchdog’s investigation finds that tracking and consent pop-ups used by Google and other major websites and apps are unlawful.

 Irish Council for Civil Liberties, here

How AI is powering [a more helpful] Google

 Google, here

Duplex is getting smarter and making life a little easier

 Google, here

Privileging Consolidation and Proscribing Cooperation: The Perversity of Contemporary Antitrust Law

 S. Vaheesan, here

EU shoots for €10B ‘industrial cloud’ to rival US

 Politico.eu, here

EU antitrust deadline for Google, Fitbit deal extended to Jan. 8

 Reuters, here

Instagram to tackle hidden advertising after CMA action

 CMA, here.  The details of FB's undertakings, here

Bill Gates says that antitrust regulators should look at tech companies separately, not all at once

 CNBC, here

To Solve COVID-19, We Need to See It for What It Is: A Configuration Crisis

 L. Fennell, here

CONSUMER AND CITIZEN GROUPS CONTINUE TO HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT GOOGLE FITBIT TAKEOVER

 Here

Europe wants ‘strategic autonomy’ — it just has to decide what that means

 Politico.eu, here

Why Facebook Can’t Fix Itself

 The NewYorker, here

British Airways: Penalty Notice

ICO, here

App Marketplace Battlemap

 


LEGAL AND REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DIGITAL ASSETS

 J. Allen et al., here

Data Sovereignty, You Ask

 


Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Per i lobbisti del big tech il paradiso è in Italia

 Domani, qui

Platform Competition: A Systematic and Interdisciplinary Review of the Literature

 J. Rietveld, M. Schilling, here

The digital payment revolution

 Bank of France, here

Anonymisierung und Pseudonymisierung von Daten für Projekte des maschinellen Lernens

 Bitkom, hier

Amazon's Latest Gimmicks Are Pushing the Limits of Privacy

 Wired, here

Data protection and coronavirus: Case studies

 ICO, here

BigTech Firms in Finance in Emerging Market and Developing Economies

 FSB, here

Google v. Oracle and the search for an analogy

 M. Risch, here

The Lawless Realm

 M. Schaake, here

A ticking time bomb: The real and present danger of the data economy

 With C. Véliz, here (and here)

Press Publishers’ Right: the Court of Appeal of Paris upholds the Competition Authority’s order for Google to negotiate with the publishers

 B. Spitz, here

Dear Google: We Agree Search Competition Should Be "Only 1 Click Away" – So Why Is It 15+ on Android?

 DuckDuckGo, here

Future Market Dynamics Part 2 - Big Tech and data disruption

 FCA, here

No rivalry between public and private digital currency solutions – European Commission

 Finextra, here

EU Foreign Investment Screening Regulation takes effect: a high-level review of regimes across Europe

 Clifford Chance, here

What Will Drive Long-Run Growth in the Digital Age?

J. Growiec, here.  

The Big Tech antitrust report has one big conclusion: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are anti-competitive

 Vox, here

Abuse of Dominance in Digital Markets

 OECD, here

EU antitrust regulators may narrow Amazon investigation - sources

 Reuters, here

Facebook's Libra must not start until properly regulated - G7 draft

 Reuters, here

Monday, October 12, 2020

A Note about Spotify Transfers

 


SongShift, here

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS TO FIGHT COVID-19

 Council of Europe, here

YouTube testet Integration von Online-Shopping-Funktionen

 Heise Online, hier

Brussels eyes bigger stick to take on Big Tech

 Politico.eu, here

Digital transformation of Europe: State of Play

 Fireside chat with the Margrethe Vestager, here  and now.



Auguri!

 




Congress made a lousy case for breaking up Big Tech

 PPI, here.

EU automotive sector – exemption from antitrust rules (review)

 EC, here  (here the pdf of the questionnaire).

Lobbying and transparency: What Twitter can do...

 




Demystifying the Role of Data Interoperability in the Access and Sharing Debate

 J. Hoffmann, B. Gonzales Otero, here

Google should have picked Microsoft’s app store principles over Apple’s

 Venture Beat, here

CNIL observations on the US-accessible Health Data Hub

 I. Brown, here

Epic loses court bid to force Apple to reinstate Fortnite in the App Store

 Venture Beat, here

Google faces new antitrust case in India over abuse in smart TVs market

 Reuters, here

Google’s (Non-) Compliance with the EU Shopping Decision

 T. Hoppner, here

Frequently asked questions on Regulation (EU) 2019/452 establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union

 EC, here

BEREC Response to the Public Consultations on the Digital Services Act Package and the New Competition Tool

 Here.

Friday, October 09, 2020

We came to Fordham and we listened. And learned.

 M. Vestager, here

How to Make AI More Humane

 Oliver Wyman Forum, here

Capitalism Is Broken. The Fix Begins With a Free Covid-19 Vaccine.

 M. Mazzucato, here

Voedselmonitor geeft eerste inzicht in prijsvorming en belemmeringen voor biologische productie

 ACM, hier

Höchste Zeit für eine zukunftsfähige Datenstrategie

I. Bertschek, hier

Google/Fitbit will monetise health data and harm consumers

 CEPR, here

The Interchange Fees Regulation in a rapidly evolving payment landscape

 EC, here

Big Tech’s Big Competition Problem: Analyzing the House Judiciary Antitrust Report

 Panel organized by Public Knowledge, here

10 app store principles to promote choice, fairness and innovation

Microsoft, here.  

Google Assistant gets deeper app integrations as voice assistant usage skyrockets

 Venture Beat, here

Digital Markets: using our existing tools and emerging thoughts on a new regime

 A. Coscelli, here

Health Data Hub : Cédric O prévoit de quitter Microsoft pour un prestataire français

 Numérama, ici

Theorising and mapping modern economic rents

 M. Mazzucato, J. Ryan-Collins, G. Gouzoulis, here

CLIMATE LAWSUIT AGAINST DUTCH STATE ON KLM BAILOUT

 Greenpeace, here

Thursday, October 08, 2020

NCT Public Consultation

  • 188 stakeholders' replies, here (apparently, but I couldn't find them); 
  • more Contributions here
  • 27 pp. Factual summary of the contributions received, here
  • 13 pp. Summary of NCAs' Contributions, here;
  • Experts' Reports
    - 63 pp. Motta/Peitz, here
    - 41 pp. Larouche/de Streel, here
    - 57-pp. Schweitzer, here
    - 68 pp. Whish, here;
    - XX EAGCP 
TOTAL for now: 269 pp.

Digital-Services-Act: So will die EU die Macht der Tech-Konzerne brechen

 T3n.de, hier

What is a digital gatekeeper?

 D. Geradin, here.

Sektoruntersuchung Nutzerbewertungen - Abschlussbericht

 Bundeskartellamt, hier.

The global semiconductor value chain

 SNV, here.

Naver faces 26.7 bln-won fine, accused of manipulating algorithms

 Yonhap News, here.

Paytm, other Indian startups vow to fight 'big daddy' Google's clout: sources

 Reuters, here

Ruling by EU’s highest court finds that UK, French and Belgian mass surveillance regimes must respect privacy, even in the context of national security

 Privacy International, here

Digital platforms’ boundaries: The interplay of firm scope, platform sides, and digital interfaces

 A. Gawer, here.

Regulating digital finance: At a Glance

 EPRS, here.

REPORT on intellectual property rights for the development of artificial intelligence technologies

 EP, here.

House: Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Google have “monopoly power,” should be split

 ArsTechnica, here.

The Economics of Platforms: A Theory Guide for Competition Policy

 B. Jullien, W. Sand-Zantman, here.

Cour d'Appel de Paris: Google News

 Ici.

Monday, October 05, 2020

A sustainable future for European industry

 M. Vestager, here

Data institutions: reducing costs and improving sustainability

 ODI, here

Message to Enrolled Students (MIM)


Tomorrow, Tuesday 6 October at 5.30 PM, I'll record an International Competition Law catch up class  (MIM) that I'll then make available to enrolled Students. If you wish to participate in the recording, please go to Moodle to find the Zoom invite for tomorrow- dreading being all alone in the Zoom Classroom and looking forward to your inspiring questions! Today's slides here and also on Moodle!


Saturday, October 03, 2020

Offene Märkte und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften – Gemeinwohlziele als Herausforderung für die Kartellrechtspraxis

 Bundeskartellamt, hier

The Marsden/Podszun Report: Restoring Balance to Digital Competition – Sensible Rules, Effective Enforcement

 


P. Marsden, R. Podszun, here; trailer here

Wearable tech makers ramp up opposition to Google’s $2.1bn Fitbit deal

FT, here.  

CONFERENCE DEBRIEFING (21/22): SUSTAINABILITY, PLATFORMS

 D'Kart, here

Google’s Epic response: Android 12 will make it easier to install app stores

 VentureBeat, here

SHAPING THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EUROPE

 EC DG DNCT, here

Common Shareholding in Europe

 JRC, here.

Tactical Leak: List of (potentially) unfair practices (DSA)

 Who knows (from politico.eu), here (and OCR'd here - H/T @1Br0wn)

Consumer Data Right Rules amended to include intermediaries

 ACCC, here

DATA SHARING FOR DIGITAL MARKETS CONTESTABILITY

 CERRE, here

Google to pay out $1B to publishers to license content for new Google News Showcase

 TechCrunch, here

Report on a digital euro

 ECB, here

Cookies et autres traceurs : la CNIL publie des lignes directrices modificatives et sa recommandation

 CNIL, ici

Blockchain as a cult, Ant Group edition

 FT, here

An Alternative to Data Ownership: Managing Access to Non-Personal Data through the Commons

 T. Fia, here

Essential Platforms

 N. Guggenberger, here ( and accompanying video here). 

First firms to begin move to new data collection platform, RegData

 FCA, here

Digital services act: European added value assessment

 EPRS, here

New legal challenges of big data

 

J. Cannataci, V. Falce and O. Pollicino, here

Facebook's "reviews" the Social Dilemma

 Here