Australia: Published September 2021 interim report of digital platform services inquiry revolves around search defaults and choice screens
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Published September 2021 interim report of digital platform services inquiry revolves around search defaults and choice screens
On 28 October 2021, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued its third interim report of the digital platform services inquiry, which focuses on the provision of web browsers, general search engine services, and how these arrangements impact consumers and competition. The report looks at the expansions of search engine services beyond websites and includes browsers, apps, and voice assistants, the reason being that consumers use numerous access points that are subject to pre-installation and default arrangements. The report looks as well at the impact of the choice screen for search engines, which provide consumers with the option of selecting their default search service and web browser. The agency noted that due to Google’s substantial market power in the supply of search engines, implementing new measures such as mandatory choice screens could improve competition and consumer choice.
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