Melanie Aitken on the Canadian Competition Bureau and Big Tech

Melanie Aitken comments in the Toronto Star on the Canadian Competition Bureau saying it is closely monitoring big technology firms to ensure they do not engage in anti-competitive conduct, as regulators around the globe crack down on the world’s leading digital companies.

“I think regulators are very interested in the issue and that the competition bureau will eventually do something, the question is what?” said Melanie. “These are really tough decisions facing the competition commissioner.”

The scope of the conversation around these issues in the U.S. and elsewhere is broad, but Aitken says defining the issues will be paramount.

“Some think it’s a privacy issue, others may think it’s a data protection or competition problem. And certainly a privacy issue can relate to a competition issue. A lot of people are trying to get their arms around what can be legitimately addressed. And what mechanisms or tools to use to do so.”