Canadian Competition Policy Focuses In On "Big Data"

The application of competition law and policy to "big data" has become a major focus for government agencies in Canada and around the world. In recent weeks, both the Competition Bureau and the Bank of Canada have weighed in. Competition regulators around the world, from the U.S. to Japan to Germany and the European Union have also issued their own policy statements on the application of competition laws to big data.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Oversight of companies that collect and use consumer data is an area of keen interest for competition law agencies in Canada and around the world.
• The Competition Bureau's (Bureau) preferred approach is to continue to rely on market forces and the existing competition law framework when making enforcement and policy decisions. The Bureau recognizes that large networks supported by big data provide significant consumer benefits by, for example, encouraging companies to lower prices faster, encouraging innovative services to develop