NEWSLETTER
A coalition of organizations and individuals has signed an open letter express <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications/former-amazon-executive-at-uk-cma”>concern in the decision of the United Kingdom government to appoint a former amazon executive as president of the Competition and Market Authority (CMA).
The group, which includes American technological outfits such as Yelp, Duckdukgo and Mozilla, says that the CMA must be “free of political pressure” if it is to keep under control and “unlock positive economic results for the entire economy.”
For the context, the United Kingdom antimonopoopoolio regulator has investigated a great technology for all types of contraventions, and together with its counterparts in the European Union (EU), the CMA has played a role in keeping the main actors of the low technological world Control when blocking acquisitions and forcing divestments.
However, the United Kingdom has tried to reposition itself as a pro-technical nation to cut the bureaucracy and bureaucracy. And as part of this, apparently, the government wants to become more attractive to external investment in stirring its antimonopoly unit.
Last month, Reports arose that the business department and the United Kingdom had overthrew CMA Marcus Bokkerink, giving way to CMA, giving way to CMA Doug Gurr (In the photo above) that worked in several roles in the business of the United Kingdom and China of amazon for almost a decade. Gurr left the amazon <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/06/amazon-uk-boss-doug-gurr-leaves-for-natural-history-museum/”>In 2020 to become director of the Natural History Museum.
“This government has a clear plan for change: to boost the growth of companies and communities throughout the United Kingdom.” Jonathan ReynoldsSaid the Secretary of State for Business and Commerce of the United Kingdom in a statement at that time. “As we have established, we want to see the regulators, including the CMA, oversizing the economy with decisions in favor of companies that will boost prosperity and growth, putting more money in people's pockets.”
“Lose your eyes”
It is worth noting that Gurr's appointment is only interim for now. But government thinking points out in terms of the type of person who seeks to play paper, someone with deep links with great technology. In his <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/former-amazon-boss-named-interim-chair-of-cma”>advertisement Last month, the government said that Gurr's past in amazon would allow him to “bring a great experience” of his work in the technological sector.
And this movement has now stimulated some bodies of two dozen to address a letter to several high -level government ministers, including Reynolds and Chancellor of the Rachel Reeves. That the signatories include Duckdukgo, Yelp and Mozilla reveals how smaller technology companies see Europe (including the United Kingdom) as a shock absorber for Big tech's overall influence.
Other organizations, such as the future of the Institute of technology, the Library Association, the Application Education Coalition and the Open Markets Institute, also put their names in the letter.
“After the elimination of the CMA chair and its replacement with a former amazon executive, we are concerned that the United Kingdom government is losing sight of its commitment to the solid application of the competence of the application of the competence of the law of the competition of the. DMU (Digital Markets Unit) Regime and operational independence of the CMA, ”says the letter. “The growth and long -term inclusive innovation and innovation will not be achieved if the CMA focuses solely on the interests of the largest companies and deviates from its central mandate to maintain and promote competitive markets.”
The CMA digital market unit was specifically established to address the great technology, and the signatories of the letters indicate that this unit should not be compromised by political influence.
“The government must trust the new DMU regime and regardless of political pressure to unlock positive economic results for the entire economy,” says the letter. “Only then the large technology companies will be forced to have honest conversations with companies and consumers about how to promote positive economic results, instead of exerting pressure on the regulator to require the required bold remedies. In summary, the DMU, and the CMA, can only promote growth if they are really operationally independent. “
The full text of the letter and the list of signatories are included below.
The RT Hon Rachel Reeves MP
Foreign Minister of the Treasury
HM Treasury
1 path of horse guards
London
SW1A 2HQ
United Kingdom
DC: RT Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Business and Commerce; RT Hon Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and technology; Baroness Jones de Whitchurch, Undersecretary of Parliamentary State for the future digital economy and online security
Dear Chancellor,
We are a wide group of challenging and medium -sized technology companies, commercial associations, civil society organizations and experts that have long asked for greater competition in digital markets through the new regime of the Digital Markets Unit (“DMU” ). Like the prime minister, we want to see that the competence and market authority (“CMA”) takes growth seriously. But sustainable growth and inclusive innovation will only be achieved by decomposing barriers to competition, not leaving them standing.
After the elimination of the president of CMA, and his replacement with a former amazon executive, we are concerned that the United Kingdom government is losing sight of its commitment to the solid execution of the competence of the DMU regime and the operational independence of the CMA . Growth and long -term, sustainable and inclusive innovation will not be achieved if the CMA focuses solely on the interests of the largest companies and deviates from their central mandate to maintain and promote competitive markets.
The former former powers in digital markets, competition and consumer law (“the DMCCA”) are completely different from the other CMA application powers, such as the merging regime, designed as they are to make personalized and specific decisions to regulate a handful of companies with super competitive power. The new DMU regime must be trusted by the government and regardless of political pressure if it is about unlocking positive economic results for the entire economy. Only then the large technological companies will be forced to have honest conversations with companies and consumers about how to promote positive economic results, instead of pressing the regulator to require the required bold remedies. In summary, the DMU, and the CMA, can only promote growth if they are really operationally independent.
The Labor Party has long supported the need for a robust and urgent action to address the monopolization of the United Kingdom technological sector, even during the DMCCA. We agree with you when you wrote that the 'new monopolies of platform capitalism such as Google, facebook and amazon (…) exercise monopoly power over knowledge and information' and 'block competitive markets'. He was right to say that “monopolies must be broken to ensure that markets are competitive.”
Since he wrote those words in 2018, Little has changed; In fact, the largest title technological monopolies have gained strength and are now taking advantage of their domain to guarantee absolute domain in the new markets. As established by The Furman Review, and multiple studies of experts who have followed throughout the world, greater competition in digital markets, applied by independent and impartial regulators, is the key to unlocking the central mission of government economic growth, government, Not a barrier to her. The independence of the CMA must defend itself rigorously to follow its mission against the aggressive lobbying of technological giants and other adherent interests, whose sole objective is to defend the ghosts that protect their monopoly rentals.
If the United Kingdom companies can finally compete with large technology companies in a leveling playing field, this will unlock critical investment, innovation and growth without limiting the ability of those companies to invest in the United Kingdom economy if they choose . In fact, the proper application of the DMCCA will unleash growth throughout the United Kingdom economy.
The CMA has shown that Apple and Google could obtain more than £ 4 billion of profits in 2021 of its United Kingdom mobile businesses above what was required to reward investors. The regulator has also shown that the cost of digital advertising was £ 500 per household in 2019, or £ 14 billion in general, much higher than it would be in a competitive market. Open options, trust and transparency, and fair treatment will help the United Kingdom companies prosper and give the United Kingdom consumers a better, cheaper and broader range of products and services. A more competitive and diverse digital economy will help ensure that the benefits of new technologies are shared more widely, reduce the dangerous units of the United Kingdom and provide citizens with a much greater autonomy and option on how they share information and interact with each other online .
We observe that in informative sessions to the press, government officials have declared that “there has been frustration in all areas of business” regarding the performance of the CMA, with the government's audience “unhappyness of all.” We encourage the Government to listen more closely to the hundreds of thousands of companies throughout the United Kingdom that have to do business in monopolized markets every day, and to properly analyze the financing and independence of the lobby groups that claim to represent the interests of Small businesses and new companies to understand which groups are truly representative of the economy in general.
In fact, we continue to support the approach that the CMA has adopted in recent years by developing the new pro-compliance regime for digital markets, investigating harmful behavior by the largest title technological companies, investigating the mergers that run the risk of promoting even more concentration and construction of a world. -Loading team of digital experts and technology. It is an internationally respected regulator, especially due to its approach to digital regulation, which is now followed throughout the world.
We hope that the government use its next strategic direction to the CMA to reaffirm its commitments to the operational independence of the regulator and the rapid implementation of the new competition regime pro-competence for digital markets. We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how we can work together to achieve this.
You sincerely,
Individuals:
- Professor Amelia Fletcher, CBE, University of East Anglia (former non-executive director, CMA; Member, HM Treasury Digital Competition Panel-Furman Review)
- Professor Derek McCauley, University of Nottingham (Member, HM Treasury Digital Competition Expert – Furman Review)
- Professor Philip Marsden, Bank of England (Member, HM Treasury Digital Competition Expert Panel – Furman Review)
- Sir Vince Cable, former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Organizations:
- Article 19
- Balanced economy project
- BOOKS ASSOCIATION
- Coalition for applications equity
- Duckdukgo
- Ecosia
- Foxglove
- technology Future Institute
- Getyourguide
- Kelkoo Group
- Center of Minderooo for technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge
- Mozilla
- Media Association
- Online quotes and discovery association (wave)
- Open Markets Institute
- Proton
- Public Interest News Foundation
- PPA (Association of Professional Editors)
- Restore technology
- Responsible online trade coalition
- Syscanner
- Authors Society
- Which?
- Yelp
(Tagstotranslate) amazon
