The Turnbull Government is taking action to strengthen competition within Australia’s media industry, and support local jobs.
The Government has directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to hold an inquiry into the impact of digital platform services on the state of competition in media and advertising services markets.
The terms of reference provided to the ACCC direct them to consider:
- the extent to which platform service providers are exercising market power in commercial dealings with the creators of journalistic content and advertisers;
- the impact of platform service providers on the level of choice and quality of news and journalistic content to consumers;
- the impact of platform service providers on media and advertising markets;
- the impact of longer-term trends, including innovation and technological change, on competition in media and advertising markets; and
- the impact of information asymmetry between platform service providers, advertisers and consumers and the effect on competition in media and advertising markets.
The Government made the direction under section 95H(1) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. The ACCC will have the power to obtain information during the inquiry, which will make digital platforms more transparent and enable the ACCC to test whether a case can be made for further intervention or use of the ACCC’s broader enforcement powers.
This inquiry forms part of the Turnbull Government’s broader Broadcast and Content Reform package and was a measure agreed with the Nick Xenophon Team. The package will strengthen and diversify our media industry and support local jobs.