A 374-page preliminary report published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission called for 11 preliminary recommendations and nine areas for further analysis and assessment as the agency continues its investigation into the potential misuse of market power by Google and Facebook, The Canberra Times reports. Stating the two companies have “substantial” market power, the ACCC called for a new regulatory body to be introduced that can monitor the platforms and for an ombudsman to investigate complaints from consumers, media companies and marketers. In the preliminary report, the ACCC also proposed that Australia’s Privacy Act include language that would require digital platforms to have clear terms and conditions and to allow users to opt in to targeted advertising.
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