Germany moves to crack down on Big Tech with anti-trust bill

The law, which has yet to be approved by parliament, would expand the powers of Germany's Federal Cartel Office to regulate companies that dominate the Internet economy. — AFP

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Sept 9 approved draft digital antitrust legislation that will give German authorities more tools to combat market abuse by large tech companies.

The law, which has yet to be approved by parliament, would expand the powers of the Federal Cartel Office to regulate companies that dominate the Internet economy. The proposed rules would allow the German antitrust regulator to step in if marketplace platforms use the data they collect from smaller businesses through their site to undercut competitors.