United Kingdom: Established Digital Markets Unit within competition authority

On 7 April 2021, the new Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the UK competition authority was officially established. The establishment of the DMU follows the recommendation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to create such an agency in its in-depth market study into online platforms and digital advertising on 1 July 2020. In November 2020, the UK Government then announced stricter regulation for digital markets. The DMU was specifically and namely established to regulate platforms with "strategic market status" such as Facebook and Google. The DMU was created in an effort to reduce market dominance by these types of companies. Furthermore, the DMU will also pursue the protection of consumers' data and combat anti-competitive behaviour by big technology firms. Means for reducing anti-competitive behaviour include the creation of codes of conduct as well as other guidelines that may be transformed into legislation in the future. For now, the DMU will begin its work in non-statutory form until legislation gives the DMU full powers.