Stephen King, ‘Our corporate cops allowed Facebook to grow big by worrying about the wrong thing’ (The Conversation, 9 February 2021)

On 18 June 2020 Wilhelmsen Ocean AS (WWO) pleased guilty to criminal cartel conduct. It has now been convicted and ordered by the Federal Court to pay a fine of $24 million.

The ACCC has granted interim authorisation to Vintage Energy Ltd, Metgasco Ltd and Bridgeport Pty Ltd to enter into joint marketing arrangements.

The ACCC’s Digital Advertising Services Inquiry Interim Report was released today.

Tim Dwyer, ‘Is news worth a lot or a little? Google and Facebook want to have it both ways’ (The Conversation, 25 January 2021)

Google has completed its acquisition of Fitbit. This comes while the ACCC was still conducting an informal review. The ACCC had previously released a statement of issues and rejected a proposed undertaking. The matter has become an enforcement investigation for the ACCC.

Stephan Brook and Nick Bonyhady, ‘Google admits to removing local news content in 'experiment'‘ (SMH, 13 January 2021)

The AFR has some items today on the year ahead for big tech

Jason Ellis, former general manager of sales and marketing at BlueScope Steel Limited, has been sentenced to eight months imprisonment for inciting the obstruction of an ACCC cartel investigation.

The ACCC has identified preliminary competition concerns over Woolworth’s proposed acquisition of a 65% share of PFD Food Services.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2020 was introduced into the House of Representatives on 9 December 2020.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has announced that Anna Brakey and Peter Crone will join the ACCC as Commissioners this month, both for five year periods.

ANZ, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and six senior banking executives were today committed to the Federal Court of Australia for trail on criminal cartel charges.

The High Court has dismissed the ACCC’s application for special leave to appeal from the Full Federal Court’s decision that the PN acquisition of the Acacia Ridge terminal would not be likely to substantially lessen competition.

The ACCC’s application for Special Leave in the Pacific National merger case will be head today before the Full Court of the High Court at 10:30am.

Criminal cartel charges have been laid against pharmaceutical ingredient company, Alkaloids of Australia Pty Ltd, and its former export manager, Christopher Kenneth Joyce. Each have been charged with 33 criminal offences.

The ACCC is consulting on the proposed undertaking offered by Google in connection with its proposed acquisition of Fitbit.

Happy Tuesday, a new compilation of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 has been registered, incorporating amendments up to Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Consumer Law - Country of Origin Representations) Act 2020.

The ACCC has instituted Federal Court proceedings alleging Peters Ice Cream engaged in conduct ‘which hindered or prevented competition for the supply of single-wrapped ice creams to petrol and convenience retailers.’

The ACCC ahs granted interim authorisation to Virgin Australia and Alliance Airlines to cooperate on 41 regional routes and two short-haul international routes.