In the Digital Platforms Inquiry (DPI) Final Report, the
ACCC devotes significant attention to the operation of the ad tech
supply chain. Its recommendations will have ramifications for all
organisations involved in programmatic advertising, including
advertisers, media agencies, ad tech platforms and
publishers.
A key focus of the Final Report is the interaction of digital
platforms, online advertising and ad tech services. 'Ad
tech' is defined in the Final Report as including any
'intermediary services involved in the automatic buying,
selling and serving of some types of display advertising'.
The ACCC expresses concerns about the efficiency of the ad tech
supply chain and the complexity and opacity of the services offered
by suppliers involved in this ecosystem. Interestingly, while the
DPI terms of reference require an assessment of the impact of
digital platforms on competition in media and advertising markets,
this was not a key aspect of the DPI Preliminary
