The digital economy

ACM promotes openness and fairness in the digital economy

The digitalization of the economy continues without abatement. New technological developments follow each other in rapid succession. Digitalization produces benefits, but it also carries risks. In the digital economy, ACM continues to ensure that markets function well. All people and businesses should be able to navigate online markets with confidence. This means that we take action against market power, misleading practices, and manipulation. Think of big technological firms on which smaller businesses and individuals have become dependent. Or think of online businesses that use algorithms to steer and influence (or even mislead) consumers more and more. Through its oversight efforts, ACM wishes to ensure that the Netherlands is able to reap the benefits of an open and fair digital economy that works for all people and businesses.

Some of ACM’s activities in 2022:

• Dealing with the exertion of undue influence on young consumers in games;
• Dealing with unfair reviews and fake likes;
• Confronting online services and platforms with unreasonable general terms and conditions;
• Finalizing the market study into cloud services;
• Publishing guidelines regarding competition rules for IT suppliers in the health-care market;
• Drawing up recommendations for safeguarding a smooth transition from copper to fiber-optic, and to ensure healthy long-term competition on the fiber-optic market;