Submission to the Competition and Markets Authority’s call for information on digital mergers

Privacy International and Open Rights Group welcome the Competition and Market Authority (CMA)’s call for information on digital mergers. In this submission, the organisations provide their observations on some of the questions raised in this consultation, focussing on: the ways in which digital products or services are monetized though user data and advertising; questioning the assumption that users pay products or services with personal data; providing examples of questions that competition authorities should ask when a relevant merger situation arises revolve around the amount of personal data of users; and answering the question on how to approach the assessment of non-price parameters of competition in digital markets.