Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the market power held by online platforms on competition in the advertising sector.

Digital markets, including online advertising, are an increasingly important part of everyday life and it's vital that we ensure they work for everyone - citizens, businesses and society as a whole.

As part of the Cairncross Review into the future sustainability of the UK press, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) published independent analysis on the structure of the online advertising sector, which is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-cairncross-review-a-sustainable-future-for-journalism

In line with the Cairncross and Furman Review recommendations, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a market study into online platforms and the digital advertising market that will assess the market power held by online platforms. This will complement the forthcoming DCMS review of online advertising regulation and government's response to the recommendations made by the Cairncross Review.

This CMA study comes at a pivotal time, as we look to promote competition in digital markets while ensuring that consumers benefit from new technology and innovation. The findings will be invaluable in helping us better understand the evolving digital landscape and complement our wider work, including the upcoming Competition Green Paper on opening up digital markets.