Big data and innovation: Competition Bureau highlights key themes for competition policy and enforcement in Canada

Core enforcement principles will continue to guide investigations

February 19, 2018 – OTTAWA, ON – Competition Bureau

As part of its commitment to keep pace with emerging issues in the digital economy, the Competition Bureau published a report today summarizing key competition policy and enforcement themes related to big data.

The publication follows consultations on the Bureau’s big data discussion paper and presents key, overarching themes that emerged from that process. The report outlines these themes in the context of enforcement and analysis related to mergers, monopolistic practices, cartels and deceptive marketing practices.

Global developments in technology have allowed firms to harness data in ways that drive innovation and quality improvements across a range of industries. At the same time, the use of big data by firms may raise challenges related to competition law enforcement.  As the Bureau adapts its tools and methods to this evolving area, its investigations and analysis will continue to be guided by fundamental competition law enforcement principles.

The goal of the report is to contribute to an ongoing discussion about how emerging challenges related to big data can be addressed to support innovation and competition in the marketplace, to the benefit of consumers, businesses and the Canadian economy.