CMA confirms investigation concerning browser changes

Jan 8, 2021 18:09 GMT  ·  By

Google has already announced the Privacy Sandbox project supposed to deal with the issues caused by third-party cookies, and the company says its new system could go live in Chrome browsers at some point next year.

But Google eliminating third-party cookies raised some concerns in the United Kingdom, so the Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, has confirmed it’s launching an investigation that should help determine if the search giant is abusing its dominant position on the market or not.

“The CMA has received complaints including from Marketers for an Open Web Limited, a group of newspaper publishers and technology companies, which allege that, through the proposals, Google is abusing its dominant position,” an official press release that went live today reads.

“Given the importance and potential impact of Google’s proposed changes, the CMA was already considering the Privacy Sandbox, in conjunction with the ICO and Google. Given the concerns raised by the complainants, it has decided that this work should be conducted in the context of a formal investigation.”

Google allegedly abusing its dominant position

As part of the Privacy Sandbox project, Google will still offer a set of tools for targeting advertising, all with the purpose of protecting the privacy of users.

But this may not be enough, it seems, and the CMA says it has already worked together with Google to understand all the changes the company plans to do in Chrome browser.

“The CMA has been considering how best to address legitimate privacy concerns without distorting competition in discussions of the proposals with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), through the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum. As part of this work, the CMA has been engaging with Google to better understand its proposals. The current investigation will provide a framework for the continuation of this work, and, potentially, a legal basis for any solution that emerges,” the CMA says.

Google hasn’t yet commented on this new investigation.