NMA welcomes peers’ recommendation

The News Media Association last week welcomed the Lords Communications and Digital Committee’s recommendation to government that two critical mechanisms within the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill - the judicial review appeals standard and the threshold for big tech to access the countervailing benefits exemption – must not be watered down.

NMA chief executive Owen Meredith said: “We strongly welcome the Committee’s clear and explicit recommendation that judicial review is the appropriate standard for appeals against Competition and Markets Authority regulatory decisions and should not be changed to full merits appeals or judicial review-plus. Maintaining the judicial review standard is critical to the success of the new regime.

“We also welcome the Committee’s conclusion that government ‘should resist any changes that would lower the threshold’ to access the countervailing benefits exemption. If widened, the exemption could give big tech a ‘get out of jail free card’ for anti-competitive conduct.

“It is vital to the success of the new regime that these critical mechanisms within the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill are not watered down, so the Bill can deliver on its core objective of unlocking the full potential of the UK digital markets.”