• CMA launches second investigation into Google’s practices in ad tech, following launch of probe into Google and Meta’s ‘Jedi Blue’ agreement.

Advertising technology intermediation, also known as the ‘ad tech stack’, is a complex set of services which facilitate the sale of online advertising space between sellers (publishers, like online newspapers and other content providers) and buyers (advertisers). In 2019, UK advertisers spent around £1.8 billion on this kind of online advertising. The market is important because millions of people across the UK use websites that rely on advertising revenue to offer high-quality, free content.

Google has strong positions at various levels of the ad tech stack, charging fees to both publishers and advertisers.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is examining 3 key parts of this chain, in each of which Google owns the largest service provider:

• Demand-side platforms (DSPs) allow advertisers and media agencies to buy publishers’ advertising inventory (i.e. the space they have for advertising) from many sources.
• Ad exchanges provide the technology to automate the sale of publishers’ inventory. They allow real-time auctions by connecting to multiple DSPs, collecting bids from them.
• Publisher ad servers manage the publisher’s inventory and decide which ad to show, based on the bids received from different exchanges and/or direct deals between publishers and advertisers.

The CMA is assessing whether Google’s practices in these parts of the ad tech stack may distort competition. These include whether Google limited the interoperability of its ad exchange with third-party publisher ad servers and/or contractually tied these services together, making it more difficult for rival ad servers to compete.

The CMA is also concerned that Google may have used its publisher ad server and its DSPs to illegally favour its own ad exchange services, while taking steps to exclude the services offered by rivals.

Andrea Coscelli, the CMA’s Chief Executive, said:

We’re worried that Google may be using its position in ad tech to favour its own services to the detriment of its rivals, of its customers and ultimately of consumers.

This would be bad for the millions of people who enjoy access to a wealth of free information online every day.

Weakening competition in this area could reduce the ad revenues of publishers, who may be forced to compromise the quality of their content to cut costs or put their content behind paywalls. It may also be raising costs for advertisers which are passed on through higher prices for advertised goods and services.

It’s vital that we continue to scrutinise the behaviour of the tech firms which loom large over our lives and ensure the best outcomes for people and businesses throughout the UK.

This case follows on from the CMA’s market study into online platforms and digital advertising which identified significant issues and made an assessment of possible solutions to address market power in ad tech. The CMA will consider these further in the course of its investigation. The CMA has subsequently opened a competition investigation into Google and Meta’s ‘Jedi Blue’ agreement in relation to header bidding services, which are a part of the wider ad tech stack. The CMA is also monitoring compliance with commitments Google made in relation to its Privacy Sandbox proposals to remove third-party cookies and other functionality from Google’s Chrome browser.

A draft Bill to give the CMA more powers to govern the behaviour of big tech firms, through the Digital Markets Unit, was recently announced in the Queen’s Speech.

Until this legislation is in place, the CMA will forge ahead using its existing powers in the tech sector, including probes into Apple’s App Store, Meta’s use of data and Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems over competition concerns.

The CMA maintains a joined-up approach across all related cases to ensure the best outcomes for people and businesses throughout the UK.

The European Commission (EC) has launched its own investigation into Google’s practices in the ad tech sector. Google practices are also the subject of a complaint by the State of Texas (and other US States) currently in the US courts. In July 2021, the French Autorité de la Concurrence closed a similar case against Google having imposed a fine and secured commitments.

Find out more about the CMA’s investigation on the case page.

1. The competition legislation relevant to the CMA’s investigation is the Competition Act 1998. This case concerns Chapter II prohibition (which makes it illegal for a company that holds a dominant position from behaving to the detriment of competition).
2. “Google” refers to Google UK Limited, Google LLC and Alphabet Inc.
3. The CMA may launch an investigation under the Competition Act 1998 if it has reasonable grounds to believe that there has been an infringement of competition law. If the CMA decides that there has been a breach of competition law then it can impose a fine up to 10% of Google’s worldwide turnover, as well as issue legally binding directions to bring the breach to an end.
4. No conclusion should be made that the law has been broken. The CMA has made no decision that Google’s conduct needs to change.
5. All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk or by phone on 020 3738 6460.
6. All enquiries from the general public should be directed to the CMA’s General Enquiries team on general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk or 020 3738 6000.

The government has today (26 May 2022) published Flightpath to the future – a strategic framework for the future of aviation, focusing on the next 10 years.

This strategic framework highlights government’s continued commitment to the sustainable growth of the aviation sector, recognising the vital importance of aviation to the UK. From supporting economic growth, to creating jobs across the UK, aviation adds huge value to our nation.

It also has an essential role to play in the personal value it provides to individuals and businesses, providing connections all around the world.

The aviation sector has faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery is an essential part of our plan for the future.

In March, the UK became the first major economy in the world to remove all COVID-19 related travel measures and restrictions for all passengers entering the UK. This is a really important milestone and marks a turning point for aviation in our journey back to pre-pandemic normality.

The publication of ‘Flightpath to the future’ recognises the importance of looking ahead for aviation. It takes into account the importance of supporting sector recovery, whilst also recognising the range of opportunities and challenges facing aviation over the medium term.

From making the most of Brexit and trade opportunities, to embracing new technologies and decarbonising the sector, the next 10 years will play a defining role in the future of UK aviation.

‘Flightpath to the future’ sets out the government’s key priorities, including a 10-point plan for delivery. The 10-point plan focuses on how we can achieve our ambition of creating a modern, innovative and efficient sector that is fit for the future.

The government is committed to working closely with the aviation sector to build back better and greener than ever before, with an ambition of retaining our position as one of the strongest aviation sectors in the world.

An essential aspect of this will be close engagement between the government and the sector, building on positive engagement that has been fundamental during the pandemic.

Alongside publishing ‘Flightpath to the future’, the government is therefore also launching an Aviation Council, focused on supporting the implementation of the commitments established through this strategic framework.

The council will be jointly chaired by the Minister for Aviation and an industry representative, and will include representatives from across the whole sector, a range of government departments and the devolved administrations.

Our 10-point plan for the future of UK aviation covers the following areas:

Enhancing global impact for sustainable recovery

1. Recover, learn lessons from the pandemic and sustainably grow the sector.

2. Enhance the UK’s global aviation impact and leadership.

3. Support growth in airport capacity where it is justified, ensuring that capacity is used in a way that delivers for the UK.

Embracing innovation for a sustainable future

4. Put the sector on course to achieve jet zero by 2050.

5. Capture the potential of new technology and its uses.

Realising benefits for the UK

6. Unlock local benefits and level up.

7. Unleash the potential of the next generation of aviation professionals.

8. Make the UK the best place in the world for general aviation.

Delivering for users

9. Improve the consumer experience.

10. Retain our world-leading record on security and safety with a world-leading regulator.

Implementing the 10-point plan will play an important role in meeting government and sector ambitions for the future of aviation. The government recognises that the sector is currently in the early stages of recovery and there are a number of challenges ahead.

We will work hand in hand with the whole aviation sector to implement the commitments set out in ‘Flightpath to the future’ and ensure a bright future for UK aviation.

We have a real opportunity to not only see passenger demand return and the sector to flourish again, but also to modernise and create a greener, more sustainable sector for the future. A sector that leads the way internationally on key issues, be that learning lessons from the pandemic, delivering jet zero or embracing the opportunities presented by aviation innovation.

The UK will continue to have one of the strongest aviation sectors internationally, including always putting consumers first and having the safest and most secure sector in the world.

I have deposited copies of ‘Flightpath to the future’ in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

See also, Jobs and passengers at the heart of government’s 10-point plan for aviation.

The national child safeguarding practice review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, 6, and Star Hobson, 16-months, has recommended that experts in police, health and social work should form dedicated multi-agency teams to investigate allegations of serious harm to children.

The independent review, carried out by the national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, looked at the lives of the two children who were murdered by their parents’ partners. It identified that failings in how agencies worked together meant concerns raised by wider family members about physical abuse were not properly investigated by police and social workers.

The report reveals that what happened to Arthur and Star are not isolated incidents and their deaths reflect wider problems in child safeguarding practice, including poor information sharing between professionals and weak decision-making. Therefore, the panel is calling for government to strengthen the child protection system at a national and local level so there is a more effective joined-up response.

Panel Chair, Annie Hudson said:

Arthur and Star suffered horrific and ultimately fatal abuse. But sadly, whilst their individual stories are unique, many hundreds of children are seriously harmed each year.

At the moment, each professional who comes into contact with a child holds one piece of the jigsaw of what is happening in a child’s life. Our proposed reforms would bring together experts from social work, police and health into one team so that they can have a better picture of what is happening to a child, listening carefully to relatives’ concerns and taking necessary actions to protect children.

Professionals working to protect children have to deal with the most complex challenges and some perpetrators of abuse will evade even the most robust safeguards. However, in too many instances, there is inadequate join-up in how agencies respond to high-risk situations where children are being abused.

The panel is making eight national recommendations and a number of local recommendations for safeguarding partners in Solihull and Bradford.

The national recommendations include:

• implementing new expert-led, multi-agency child protection units to undertake investigation, planning and oversight of children at risk
• establishing national multi-agency practice standards for child protection – this would provide a standard of quality and consistency in practice for working with children at risk and their families across the country
• a sharper performance focus and better co-ordination of child protection policy in central government – this involves the establishment of a national Child Protection Board, bringing together all relevant central government departments, local government, the police, education and health representatives

The local recommendations for Safeguarding Partners in Solihull, where Arthur lived, include:

• ensuring that all assessments undertaken by agencies draw on information and analysis from all relevant professionals, wider family members or other significant adults who try and speak on behalf of the child
• reviewing the partnership Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub arrangements to ensure a more “Think Family” approach
• reviewing and commissioning strategies to ensure practitioners know how to respond to incidents of domestic abuse and understand the risks to children of prisoners

The local recommendations for Safeguarding Partners in Bradford, where Star lived, include:

• agreeing clear expectations regarding risk assessment and decision making and ensuring these are understood by all agencies
• reviewing, developing and commissioning a comprehensive early help offer which can be accessed before, during and after the completion of any child and family assessment by children’s social care
• reviewing and commissioning domestic abuse services to guide the response of practitioners and ensure there is a robust understanding of what the domestic abuse support offer is in Bradford

Notes to editors

The independent national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is an independent body that was set up in July 2018 to identify, commission and oversee reviews of serious child safeguarding cases. It brings together experts from social care, policing, health, education and the third sector to provide a multi-agency view on cases which they believe raise issues that are complex, or of national importance.