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Wednesday, December 02, 2020
Tuesday, December 01, 2020
@WAVESBLOG ADVENT MEME CALENDAR! 2 December 🎅
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Credits:
@why0hy [Are you saying that Google’s promise is otter nonsense?]
@BeterOpDeFiets [Either that or they plan to weasel out of their commitments]
@1Br0w [Dam!]
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the DGA Proposal - But Never Dared to Ask
Virtual Conversation on Data Governance Act Proposal with Malte Beyer-Katzenberger, DG Connect, here.
Monday, November 30, 2020
Friday, November 27, 2020
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Lessons from the investigations in competition in digital markets
With Nora Memetti, Oliver Budzinski and myself, Video here.
Restoring Balance to Digital Competition
Instituto de derecho de la competencia, Video here (Philip Marsden presenting and me praising the Report - you can safely skip my part perhaps).
Commissioners Vestager and Breton on the Data Governance Act
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Future of data economy: a conversation with Thierry Breton and Maximilian Schrems
Bruegel Event, with T. Breton and M. Schrems, Video here.
Stellungnahme zur Anhörung des Wirtschaftsausschusses des Deutschen Bundestags am 25. November 2020 zur Zehnten GWB-Novelle („GWB-Digitalisierungsgesetz“)
Stellungnahme mit den Mitgliedern der Monopolkommission abgestimmt, hier.
Latest #blockchain ecosystem developments and trends in the EU27, Switzerland and the UK
Monday, November 23, 2020
Friday, November 20, 2020
#DSGVOwirkt: Microsoft passt sich europäischem Datenschutz an
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Monday, November 16, 2020
Friday, November 13, 2020
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Monday, November 09, 2020
Setting democratic global standards for intelligence agencies: the way forward
9 November 2020 (2 to 3.30pm CET), here.
Parere alla Provincia autonoma di Trento su uno schema di regolamento concernente la medicina di iniziativa nel servizio sanitario provinciale
Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, qui.
Digital Platforms and Ecosystems
Spotify to offer artists and labels the option to promote their music in your recommendations
Fader, here (and listening to Spotify right now).
Beyond the buzzwords: Putting meaningful transparency at the heart of the Digital Services Act
Saturday, November 07, 2020
Friday, November 06, 2020
OFA: Virtual Debate - Interoperability and the EU Digital Markets Act
Video, here (it was fun: seriously).
Friday, October 30, 2020
Thursday, October 29, 2020
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?
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)
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Monday, October 26, 2020
Friday, October 23, 2020
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
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
DOJ (and 11 -?- States) v. Google
Monday, October 19, 2020
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?).
Friday, October 16, 2020
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Monday, October 12, 2020
Friday, October 09, 2020
Big Tech’s Big Competition Problem: Analyzing the House Judiciary Antitrust Report
Panel organized by Public Knowledge, 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
Wednesday, October 07, 2020
Tuesday, October 06, 2020
Monday, October 05, 2020
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!
Sunday, October 04, 2020
Saturday, October 03, 2020
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Monday, September 28, 2020
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Friday, September 25, 2020
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Monday, September 21, 2020
U.S. app maker Blix in letter to EU's Vestager says Apple not playing fair
"The founders of Blix, an email app maker that has fought with Apple, suggested to me that Apple create an independent app review process to make sure it isn’t unfairly punishing rival apps" here.
Friday, September 18, 2020
Thursday, September 17, 2020
DRAFT STAFF DISCUSSION PAPER ON SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES AND COMPETITION LAW
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
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Public Knowledge, here .
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On 24 March 2004 the European Commission fined Microsoft for abuse of dominant position (H/T Lewis Crofts). 18 years (age of maturity) l...
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Centre for a Digital Society , Video here . These are my very rough talking points on pay or okay in full length (more than I actually had...
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Report to the California Law Review Commission Antitrust Law: Study B-750, here .
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A. Blankertz, hier .
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InternetLab, here .
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CMA, here .
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D.Lichtman, here .