South Africa’s Competition Commission Expands Tech Probe 

The Competition Commission is seeking feedback on its inquiry into differences between South African media publishers and major tech companies (Apple, Facebook, Google) through the Media and Digital Platforms Markets Inquiry. The commission acknowledged that the rise of digital platforms has significantly impacted traditional news media organisations and their revenue streams in recent years. It also maintained that there are reasons to believe that the existence of market features within digital platforms that distribute news media content restricts and impedes competition. The commission found that Google’s strong dominance and business approach make it difficult for smaller platforms to get noticed and gain users. The commission recommended that Google implement new site units to display smaller websites that are relevant to searches.