Aussie watchdog to clampdown on tech giants

This article is more than 12 months old

Jun 24, 2019 06:00 am

SYDNEY: Australia's competition watchdog is poised to call for new regulations on Facebook, Google and other tech giants which could have global ramifications for how they make money and choose the content people consume.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) recommendations, if confirmed, would be among the strongest yet in a drive to rein in the power of digital behemoths amid a host of concerns ranging from anti-trust issues to privacy abuse, and their role in spreading disinformation.

The ACCC's final report, due June 30, is expected to include proposals for sweeping controls over tech companies' handling of personal data and their use of "opaque" algorithms to rank how they display advertisements, search results and content.

Tech companies have warned that enacting the proposed recommendations would be impractical, or lead firms to simply avoid doing business in Australia. - AFP