White House’s Economic Report of the President sets out a roadmap to improve competition in digital markets

On Tuesday, March 22nd, the White House released the Economic Report of the President (ERP), a full chapter of which is devoted to Competition in the Digital Economy. See the full report here. The report summarises that the promised benefits of the internet have been undermined by over-concentration. Digital markets should be a great vehicle…

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Brussels Conference brings in industry leaders to discuss the international antitrust landscape

On 2 March 2023, Keystone Strategy hosted a conference on Antitrust, Regulation & the Political Economy which brought together policymakers, academics, economists, and lawyers from across Europe and the United States. Three panel discussions devoted particular attention to the current legal framework of competition law in different jurisdictions, the state of antitrust enforcement, and the…

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Issues in the UK’s forthcoming Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill

On 6 May 2022 the Government confirmed its approach to strengthen digital competition regulation in the UK.[1] The UK is now on the verge of publishing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill (the “Bill”) which will be broadly aligned with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (“DMA”). However, will the Bill be fit for purpose?…

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Stormy weather for cloud computing in the EU

Stormy weather for cloud computing in the EU Cloud computing Cloud computing allows businesses to access computing resources as services over the internet. The availability of this service over the internet and on an on-demand basis reduces expenditure on traditionally on-site resources, while allowing businesses to scale quickly. The European Commission support a transition towards…

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Inmarsat Takeover Provisionally Cleared for Take-Off

On 1st March 2023, the Competition & Markets Authority (“CMA”) provisionally cleared the anticipated takeover by Viasat Inc. of Inmarsat Group Holdings Limited. The takeover shall see Viasat Inc. acquire 100% of Inmarsat’s issued share capital and the aggregate consideration is valued at $7.3 billion. The completion of this proposed acquisition is conditional upon approvals…

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EDPB’s Feedback on the New EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework

Background As previously reported, on 13 December 2022, the European Commission published its draft adequacy decision for the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (the “Framework”). The Framework only applies is only applicable to U.S. organisations which have self-certified. Two months later, on 28 February 2023, the European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) adopted its opinion on the…

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DCMS Publishes New Security and Privacy Principles for App Store Operators and Developers

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (“DCMS”) recently published a new ‘Code of Practice for App Store Operators and Developers’ (“Code”), following calls to improve app security and privacy for users. The new Code of Practice sets out eight key principles for stakeholders in the digital app space. The stakeholders who shall adhere…

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DPO’s Dismissal & Conflicts of Interest Under The EU GDPR – CJEU Ruling

On 9 February 2023, the Court of Justice of the EU (“CJEU”) issued a preliminary ruling in the case C-453/21, following two important questions submitted by a German Federal Labor Court, regarding: Whether Article 38(3) of the GDPR precludes national legislation from introducing certain requirements for the dismissal of the DPO? What circumstances constitute a…

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ICO – Change of Deadline for Reporting Breach Notifications for Communication Service Providers

On 20 January 2023 the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) published a statement regarding the obligations then in place for public electronic communications service providers (“CSPs”) under Regulation 5A of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (“PECR”). The statement proposed the termination of the 24-hour data breach regime (which required CSPs to notify the…

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