31 The creation of a Digital In order to stay one step ahead and anti- These are the conditions for these mar- Economy Unit to provide ever cipate the issues that could arise in the kets to maintain - or regain - a competi- more specialised expertise future in different markets, it is essential tive dynamic, thereby safeguarding the There is currently a basic shift towards to understand the technologies at work capacity for innovation and entry of new strengthening the necessary expertise in and decipher exactly how sectors based competitors. To support these efforts, the the areas where the new regulatory battles on digital technologies function - such Autorité has decided to set up a Digital Eco- will be fought, whether in the field of com- as online advertising - or those that are nomy Unit, which will strengthen its arse- petition or privacy protection, for example. impacted to a significant extent, such as nal. This Unit welcomes a diverse range of the audiovisual sector, with the revolution profiles (engineers, lawyers, economists, In order to get an accurate measure of of OTT services such as Netflix. Finally, we data scientists, etc.). all the developments in the digital field need to launch an active policy to identify and adapt the implementation of com- anticompetitive practices in the digital petition regulation tools, investments in economy, using new investigative tools, knowledge are needed, and cross-cut- in particular algorithms. ting reflections need to be undertaken. You have recently practices. We also intend to be ablestandardised methods of analysis taken charge of the to detect new types of infringementsand intervention. The tool for new Digital Economy committed via algorithms, which detecting changes to General Unit, can you tell us are more easily concealed than Conditions of Use is a good traditional cartels. example of the cooperation with about its missions? the digital ambassador. This tool Furthermore, we will intervene was made available to the My department will contribute to to support all the investigation rapporteurs of the Autorité back the reflections and sector-specific services that are confronted with in November 2020 and the digital inquiries of the Autorité, on issues casesthat have a strong digital ambassador made it public in related to the development of element. The intention is to help February 2021. We have also digital technology, in the same analyse the most complex cases signed a technical cooperation vein as those already carried out involving mergers between agreement with PEReN (Pôle on Big Data, online advertising and companies and digital actors, d’expertise et de régulation algorithms. Since our inception, as well as in litigation procedures numérique du ministère de we have contributed to ongoing relating to compliance with l’Économie, the Government’s studies on payments, blockchain competition law in a digital context:Digital Regulation Expertise platforms and technologies, for example, infringements Cluster). The guiding principle and we have already provided committed via digital means, is that we are stronger together. support for various antitrust cases, relating to problems of reference We would also like to forge including the decision on the iOS14 listing, ranking bias or the role enriching and constructive operating system. of data in the contestability of exchanges with the academic a market or even collusion community and research Our roadmap also includes the practices by algorithms. institutions specialised task of developing new digital in digital issues. investigationtools, based on the Finally, we will work in close automation of tasks, algorithmic cooperation with the industry technologies, the recovery and regulators, the competent processing of big data, and artificialgovernment departments and intelligence, in order to improve theother competition authorities, detection of anticompetitive at the European and international levels, to develop convergent and YANN GUTHMANN Head of the Digital Economy Unit of the Autorité de la concurrence REINVENTING OUR MEANS OF ACTION V I E W P O I N T