Highlights from the Competition Bureau’s Data Forum

The opinions are those of the panelists and participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Competition Bureau or the Commissioner of Competition. [...] These models have led to questions surrounding the quantity of data controlled by a handful of firms and the state of competition in the market as a result. [...] Indeed, in a recent letter to the Commissioner, Minister Bains noted the importance of considering how well suited our system is to the present and the future marketplace, with a view to ensuring that our competition infrastructure is fit for this purpose and able to remain responsive to a modern and changing economy. [...] In this market, data collected from customer interactions with the platform is a critical input to both the service and the selling of ads to monetize the service. [...] On the other hand, a panelist pointed out that in carrying out its study, the UK’s Digital Competition Expert Panel looked at hundreds of acquisitions that occurred under the radar over the years and that the conclusion of the panel was that a few problematic mergers were likely missed.