Policy paper

Competition and Markets Authority's digital markets strategy

The CMA's strategy to protect consumers and foster innovation in rapidly developing digital markets.

Documents

Details

Digital Markets Strategy refresh - February 2021

This strategy is a refresh of our June 2019 Digital Markets Strategy. The refresh document sets out our aims and key priorities across our digital markets work, as well as an update on the work completed since our last strategy. Our overarching ambition, set out in the refreshed Digital Markets Strategy, is to build and establish the new Digital Markets Unit within the CMA. The strategy includes detail on work to support this aim including:

  • work to develop the new pro-competition regulatory framework for digital markets, to establish the new DMU function within the CMA, and to prepare for the proposed regime for firms with Strategic Market Status
  • consumer and antitrust enforcement, market studies and merger assessment
  • the work of the Data, Technology, and Analytics Unit
  • our work with Ofcom and the ICO through the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum to deliver effective, efficient and coherent regulation across digital markets, for the benefit of industry and consumers
  • our international work to strengthen cooperation with competition and consumer authorities overseas across our work on digital markets

Digital Markets Strategy - June 2019

This strategy brings together the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) digital work in one place and sets out how the CMA plans to foster innovation while protecting consumers in the rapidly developing digital economy

The strategy includes detail on:

  • consumer and antitrust enforcement and merger assessment,
  • the work of the CMA’s Data, Technology, and Analytics Unit,
  • how the CMA plans to adapt our mergers approach to digital markets,
  • a market study on online platforms and digital advertising,
  • considerations around a Digital Markets Unit and
  • making best use of the CMA’s enforcement tools

This strategy follows the CMA’s recent package of proposals unveiled by its Chairman Lord Tyrie, which aims to make UK competition regime fit for the digital age and builds on the recent review led by Jason Furman.

Find out more about the market study on the online platforms and digital advertising market study page

Updates to this page

Published 3 July 2019
Last updated 9 February 2021 + show all updates
  1. A refreshed Digital Markets Strategy has been added to the page

  2. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page