Which? response as CMA welcomes government proposals on new powers

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

“The government is right to propose giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) greater powers, allowing it to take stronger and swifter enforcement action against businesses that breach consumer protection law.

“The coronavirus pandemic, and trends including the move to more people shopping online, have exposed worrying shortcomings in consumer enforcement and suggested more needs to be done to make companies accountable, such as through the regulator being able to issue significant fines directly.

“It is also positive that the government is moving to give the Digital Markets Unit the ability to tackle the entrenched power of the biggest tech firms and promote much-needed competition in digital markets.

“The government must now move quickly to implement these changes, and put forward a bill in the next Queen’s speech, to guarantee that consumers are better protected.”

Notes to editors

• Which? response to the consultation on Competition and Consumer Policy Reform / Which? response to DCMS and BEIS pro-competition regime for digital markets: https://www.which.co.uk/consumerlandscapeconsultation

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