Australia: Regulator turns their eyes on Facebook

According to news.com.au , Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Rod Sims suspects Facebook and Google have much more personal information about users than people realize.To tackle the problem the Federal Government has told the ACCC chairman to investigate the tech giants in what Mr Sims claims will be the broadest inquiry of its type in the world.

The Commission is currently looking at whether Facebook, Google or others have misused their market power in commercial dealings plus their impact on the “quality and choice of news.” They are also looking as what the digital platforms know about their users and whether this information has been collected in a transparent way.

Mr Sims, who is not currently on Facebook but intends to open an account shortly, said the ACCC’s inquiry will involve asking consumers how much they think the digital platforms know about them and comparing that to what is in fact being gathered.

Full Content: News.com

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.