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Competition Bureau sues Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising in Canada

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GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 28, 2024 /CNW/ – The Competition Bureau is taking legal action against Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising technology services in Canada. Following a thorough investigation, the Bureau has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal that seeks to remedy the conduct for the benefit of Canadians.

This case is about online web advertising, which consists of ads shown to users when they visit websites. Many publishers count on digital ad revenue to support their activities and reach. Digital ad inventory is often purchased and sold through automated auctions using sophisticated platforms. These individual platforms are known as ad tech tools while the entire suite of tools used throughout the buy and sell process are collectively known as the ad tech stack.

The Bureau’s investigation found that, in Canada, Google is the largest provider across the ad tech stack for web advertising and has abused its dominant position through conduct intended to ensure that it would maintain and entrench its market power. Google’s conduct locks market participants into using its own ad tech tools, prevents rivals from being able to compete on the merits of their offering, and otherwise distorts the competitive process.

In particular, the Bureau found that Google has:

unlawfully tied its various ad tech tools together to maintain its market dominance; andleveraged its position across these ad tech tools to distort auction dynamics by:giving its own tools preferential access to ad inventory,taking negative margins in certain circumstances to disadvantage rivals, anddictating the terms on which its own publisher customers could transact with rival ad tech tools.

The Bureau’s position is that by implementing this anticompetitive conduct, Google has been able to entrench its dominance, prevent rivals from competing, inhibit innovation, inflate advertising costs and reduce publishers’ revenues.

The Bureau’s application with the Competition Tribunal seeks an order that, among other things:

requires Google to sell two of its ad tech tools;directs Google to pay a penalty to promote compliance with the Competition Act; andprohibits Google from continuing to engage in anticompetitive practices.

The final decision in this matter rests with the Competition Tribunal.

A backgrounder with more information on the Bureau’s investigation and next steps is available on our website. The application to the Competition Tribunal will be available on the Tribunal’s website shortly.

Quotes

“The Competition Bureau conducted an extensive investigation that found that Google has abused its dominant position in online advertising in Canada by engaging in conduct that locks market participants into using its own ad tech tools, excluding competitors, and distorting the competitive process. Google’s conduct has prevented rivals from being able to compete on the merits of what they have to offer, to the detriment of Canadian advertisers, publishers and consumers. We are taking our case to the Tribunal to stop this conduct and its harmful effects in Canada.”

Matthew Boswell
Commissioner of Competition

Quick facts

recent Bureau study showed that a decline in competition deprives both businesses and consumers of the benefits of a competitive economy, including lower prices, greater choice, and more innovation.Online web advertising consists of ads shown to users when they visit websites.Advertisers and publishers use advertising technology services to support the selling and buying of online web ads. Google is unquestionably the largest provider of ad tech tools across the supply chain.In 2021, the Bureau obtained its first court order related to this investigation into Google’s online advertising business.Earlier this year, the Bureau obtained another court order and expanded its investigation. The Bureau also investigated Google in 2016 for alleged anti-competitive conduct relating to online search, search advertising and display advertising. At that time, the Bureau committed to closely follow developments with respect to Google’s conduct.

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Backgrounder: Competition Bureau sues Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising

Associated links

Competition Bureau expands its investigation into Google’s advertising practicesCompetition Bureau obtains court order to advance an investigation of GoogleCompetition Bureau completes extensive investigation of GoogleRestrictive trade practicesWhy competition matters

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The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth.

SOURCE Competition Bureau

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World’s First Fully Automated, Digitalized Future Materials Recovery Facility Begins Operations in Tianjin

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DONGGUAN, China, Nov. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Amidst the global drive toward a circular economy, DataBeyond Technology has successfully designed, constructed, and fully operationalized the Tianjin Baoyuan Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). This trailblazing facility integrates automation, digitalization, and intelligent systems to establish a new benchmark for the recycled materials industry, demonstrating China’s robust capacity for advancing industrial transformation and upgrading in the sector.

 

Automation: Efficiency through Technology

The Tianjin Baoyuan MRF leverages fully automated production lines to deliver high-efficiency recycling operations.

Daily Processing Capacity of 50 Tons: Far surpassing traditional recovery methods, the facility employs automated feeding and intelligent sorting systems that significantly reduce manual labor, cut costs, and minimize operational errors.Precision Sorting Across Multiple Categories: DataBeyond’s advanced optical sorters efficiently handle diverse materials, including high quality specific brand bottles, high quality clear bottles, blue and clear bottles, green bottles, meal trays, metals, glass, and miscellaneous plastics. These technologies not only enhance sorting speed but also improve sorting quality, ensuring premium-grade materials for downstream processing.Optimized Workforce Allocation: By fully adopting automation, the Tianjin Baoyuan MRF achieves the ideal synergy of “replacing humans with machines” and “streamlining for efficiency,” marking a critical milestone in the industry’s evolution.

Digitalization: Transparency in Operations Management

Digitalization is at the core of the Tianjin Baoyuan MRF, with an intelligent settlement system encompassing every stage of the process from waste weighing, pricing, and impurity deduction to detailed sorting, data analysis, traceability, aggregation, and storage. This robust digital backbone enables transparent and efficient facility management.

Data Traceability: Each batch of incoming materials is traceable back to specific suppliers or waste stations, ensuring a transparent and accountable supply chain.Real-Time Analytics: The system continuously collects and analyzes material composition data, providing scientific insights to guide production decisions.Comprehensive Partner Profiles: Digital archives for each partner capture critical metrics such as delivery frequency, material composition, and annual volumes, fostering refined operations and long-term collaboration.Industry Transformation: By embedding digitalization into its operations, the facility shifts from experience-based management to a data-driven approach, driving both standardization and efficiency in the recycling industry.

Intelligence: Flexibility for Market Adaptation

Intelligent systems grant the Tianjin Baoyuan MRF the flexibility to adapt to ever-evolving market demands.

Dynamic Operations: The facility can seamlessly adjust sorting categories and operational modes in response to market needs, offering unparalleled flexibility and convenience. Learning New Material Profiles: Intelligent sorting equipment can quickly “learn” the characteristics of new waste types by updating its database, ensuring continuous precision in sorting operations.Sustained Competitiveness: This adaptive production capability empowers the facility to stay ahead in a fast-changing market, responding swiftly to shifts while maintaining its competitive edge.

DataBeyond Technology: Pioneering Productivity in Recycling

The Tianjin Baoyuan MRF serves as a model of success for the recycling industry. Through this innovative integration of automation, digitalization, and intelligence, DataBeyond Technology once again demonstrates its leadership in advancing high-quality, full-chain operations in the recycled materials sector. This milestone underscores the company’s commitment to building a resource-efficient society and driving the growth of the circular economy.

More information: https://www.databeyond.com  

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-first-fully-automated-digitalized-future-materials-recovery-facility-begins-operations-in-tianjin-302318475.html

SOURCE GuangDong DataBeyond Technology Co., Ltd

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azgo Launches azgoXplore: Transforming Travel with AI-Powered Price Comparison Across 1,000+ Cities

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SINGAPORE, Nov. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — azgo, the latest Singapore-born travel cashback app in Asia, today launched azgoXplore, their new AI-powered price comparison website designed to help global travellers find the best deals across more than a thousand cities worldwide.

The launch was officiated by Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, and Deputy Secretary-General, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), who marked the occasion with an opening speech, stating, “AI is redefining the tourism and hospitality industry, from our travel plans to attractions, and physical and digital infrastructures. azgo demonstrates how companies are leveraging AI to enhance their operations and deliver value to consumers. It is also important to recognise that AI is transforming jobs and has an impact on the workforce. We are committed to supporting businesses in advancing their AI capabilities and supporting workers to enhance their AI skills through training.”

azgoXplore leverages AI and data-driven insights to offer real-time price comparisons for attractions and activities, creating a comprehensive travel planning tool for consumers. Early adopters and partners of the platform include notable regional travel players such as Trip.com, GlobalTix, Ryde, Museum of Ice Cream Singapore, and Wink+. These partners have integrated their offerings into azgoXplore, allowing users to easily access and compare the best deals on a single platform (further details on these collaborations are available in the appendix).

In addition, businesses in the travel ecosystem can collaborate with azgoXplore to develop co-branded white-label solutions that integrate seamlessly into their apps. This integration empowers users to access attraction deals alongside their everyday services, enhancing both convenience and user engagement.

Bridging the attraction gap

azgo launched earlier this year with their travel cashback app, offering a one-stop platform that connects users to top travel brands across multiple segments, including hotels, flights, car rentals, and experiences. With the launch of azgoXplore, the travel technology company aims to empower tech-savvy travellers in search of value-for-money experiences.

azgoXplore also addresses a market gap for a price comparison platform tailored to the attractions and experiences sector. Led by azgo’s team hailing from Booking.com and Skyscanner, azgoXplore will first focus on the growth of its attractions and experiences pipeline. Long-term plans include expanding the platform to cover the entire travel journey, from flights to hotels.

Oliver Hua, Advisory Board Member at azgo, shared in his welcome address, “Singapore is a global hub for innovative tourism, always ready for smarter change and optimised experiences, especially in the competitive travel space. By combining azgo’s mobile-first rewards offering with our new price comparison platform, we aim to empower travellers to travel smarter – both within Singapore and beyond. The launch of azgoXplore reinforces our commitment to strengthening Singapore’s tourism sector.”

Hua further added, “We will continue to explore impactful collaborations with our trusted partners, as well as our growing user base, to redefine smart travel for everyone.”

Officially launched in Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mainland China, azgo also has its sights set on launching in new markets such as Brazil and the United States.

For more information on azgo, visit azgotrip.com or azgo.ai. 

About azgo

azgo is an AI-driven travel rewards and price comparison mobile platform that launched in Singapore in February 2024. Through azgo, users can earn rewards on every trip, including but not limited to cashback, mileage, and shopping points across more than 500 global merchants, from airlines and hotels to trains and in-market tour operators. Users can compare prices and enjoy cashback rewards of up to 20% with every booking in just seven days. azgo also offers azgoXplore, an AI-powered travel price comparison infrastructure that allows travellers to find the best deals across more than 1,000 cities worldwide. Initially focused on real-time pricing comparisons for attractions, activities, and tours, azgoXplore plans to expand to encompass the entire travel journey, including flights and hotels.

For more information, please visit azgotrip.com and azgo.ai/attractions. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/azgo-launches-azgoxplore-transforming-travel-with-ai-powered-price-comparison-across-1-000-cities-302318295.html

SOURCE azgo

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K-wave goes mainstream in Southeast Asia but consumers now surf for localised K-products: Euromonitor International

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Singaporeans traveling to South Korea increases by 52% from 2019Local Soju drives impressive market growth; Halal variant faring wellConsumers copy Korean style but buy products locally

SINGAPORE, Nov. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Consumers in Southeast Asia are avid consumers of ‘Korean-wave’ (K-wave) products but ultimately surf for localised K-products, according to data analytics firm Euromonitor International.

With growing consumer demand, brands are increasingly embracing K-wave in product development, promotion and local engagement. Consumer brands, particularly food, drinks and beauty, see K-wave as a tide driving key growth.

Sunny Moon, Research Manager at Euromonitor International, said: “Beyond watching Korean content and travelling to Korea, consumers also incorporate K-products into their daily lives. However, they eventually prefer local products that align with local preference.”

Consumers want more than just Korean surface appeal

As detailed in Euromonitor International’s ‘K-Wave in Southeast Asia: Impact and strategies‘ webinar, the influence of K-pop, K-beauty and K-food in Southeast Asia has reached remarkable levels, fuelled by the surge in outbound travel to South Korea.

According to researchers at Euromonitor, Singaporeans saw a significant 52% growth in outbound travel to South Korea in 2024 compared to 2019. Visitors from Indonesia (10%) and Taiwan (13%) also increasingly travel to the home of K-Wave, driven by strong outbound travel recovery.

Moon noted: “Consumers’ Korean-craze consumption continues in their home countries. To meet growing consumer demand, brands are embracing the K-wave by appointing K-pop stars as brand ambassadors, even featuring Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, on product labels.”

Soju, South Korea’s popular alcoholic drink, has become an affordable drink for locals nowadays, thanks to it featuring in K-drama. Soju has seen impressive growth in major Southeast Asian countries with CAGR of 121% growth from 2019 to 2023 in total volume sales, particularly in Malaysia (241%), Indonesia (182%) and Thailand (100%).

However, consumers are now opting for locally produced Soju, rather than imported Soju. Indonesia and Malaysia have introduced Halal Soju, a non-alcoholic Soju but in Soju’s iconic green bottle. This caters to the Halal consumer’s demand, as well as a rapid growth for Soju in these markets.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/k-wave-goes-mainstream-in-southeast-asia-but-consumers-now-surf-for-localised-k-products-euromonitor-international-302318357.html

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