The pandemic has accelerated the use of technology and data, and
increased dependency on major tech companies. These tech companies
have out-performed the market during the crisis and they are again
in the regulatory spotlight. As a result, we expect to see further
moves to regulate the digital economy in coming months.
Increasing regulatory scrutiny
While Covid-19 has temporarily halted the UK Information
Commissioner's investigation into privacy and AdTech, it seems
to have done little to slow down the antitrust authorities, who are
continuing to pro-actively pursue new and existing cases.
The European Commission has launched two new investigations into
Apple in relation to: the terms and conditions of its app store;
and its rules on how Apple Pay should be used in merchants'
apps and websites. Its investigation into Amazon –
Marketplace is expected to escalate in the coming months and a
number of preliminary probes into Facebook and Google remain
open.
