The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has called for new powers to limit Google’s use of internet data to sell customized advertisements, joining other authorities in claiming that the company has a monopoly on the market harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers.
The comments made in a report published on September 28 align Australia with Europe and the United Kingdom, where regulators are trying to prevent Alphabet from outbidding rival advertisers by using data collected from people’s online searches – including on maps and YouTube – to place marketing material.
“The Europeans and the UK are consulting on such laws at the moment, and we’re going to be trying to align with them over the next year,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair Rod Sims said.
Following the report’s publication, Google stated that its advertising division supported over 15,000 Australian employment and contributed $2.45 billion to the Australian economy each year.
“As one of the many advertising technology providers in Australia, we will continue to work collaboratively with industry and regulators to support a healthy ads ecosystem,” a spokesperson said.