Following recent concerns from lawmakers on anti-competitive tactics by major businesses, the Centre is going to introduce laws to control Big Tech’s data gathering and usage policies.
The proposed regulatory requirements are already the subject of government discussions. “The inter-ministerial talks saw the participation of ministries of corporate affairs, electronics and information technology, as well as Competition Commission of India,” the report said.
It was noted that the government is considering a new Digital Markets Act to regulate commercial practises, such as data gathering and usage by businesses engaged in the digital economy.
The paper claims that the problem has gained attention since the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce recommended a “ex-ante” method over the current “ex-post” strategy for regulating competition in the digital market economy.
This will stop anti-competitive behaviour rather than starting an investigation and applying sanctions after a breach, it claimed.
A number of complaints regarding allegedly anti-competitive practises by digital platforms have recently surfaced, and the competition watchdog is already looking into a number of cases.
