Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission Meet with G7 Enforcement Partners in Tokyo to Discuss the Challenges of Ensuring Competition in Digital Markets

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission participated in the G7 Competition Authorities and Policymakers’ Summit today to discuss the ways in which enforcers and policymakers are addressing competition concerns in digital markets.

The Summit was convened by the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers and hosted in Tokyo by Japan’s Secretariat of Headquarters for Digital Market Competition and the Japan Fair Trade Commission. The Antitrust Division was represented by Chief of Staff Joshua Tzuker, assisted by International Counsel Mark Niefer.

“We thank Japan for organizing such a productive and important event,” said Chief of Staff Tzuker. “International cooperation is necessary if we are to protect consumers and workers from emerging risks to competition in digital markets around the world. The Summit was a significant step toward enhancing our collective efforts to protect digital market competition today and in the future.”

In preparation for the Summit, G7 members contributed to the Compendium of Approaches to Improving Competition in Digital Markets, which describes member efforts in digital markets. Japan also published the G7 Inventory of New Rules for Digital Markets and an accompanying Analytical Note which describe new or contemplated laws and regulations intended to address competition in digital markets.  

At the conclusion of the Summit, G7 competition authorities and policymakers issued a Digital Competition Communique, which describes a shared commitment to enforce competition laws and develop policies necessary to ensure that principles of fair competition are applied to digital markets. The Communique highlights competition concerns arising from emerging technologies, and it describes the ways in which G7 competition authorities and policymakers are enhancing their ability to better understand and anticipate the challenges to competition arising from new technologies such as generative AI. The Communique emphasizes that current competition law applies to AI and its uses, and that the G7 is committed to addressing any risks to competition associated with the rise of AI.