The inaugural round of public hearings for the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry is scheduled to take place from March 4 to March 22, 2024, at the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition campus in Pretoria.
The primary objective of the inquiry is to address imbalances and competition issues in the media and digital platforms market, particularly focusing on disparities between South African media publishers and major platforms such as Apple, Facebook, and Google.
The Competition Commission has recently released its Further Statement of Issues (FSOI), seeking public input on various themes, including the incorporation of constitutional interpretation, the impact of misinformation and disinformation, the role of radio and TV broadcast news media, the measurement of news on search and social media platforms, revenue-sharing arrangements between news media and digital platforms, and the significance of transparency in platforms and Advertising Technology (Adtech) markets.
The public hearings, based in Pretoria, will follow a hybrid format, allowing individuals to participate either in person or virtually. Chaired by James Hodge, the sessions will be assisted by panel member Paula Fray. The proceedings will be live streamed on the Competition Commission’s YouTube and Facebook pages, with the final schedule to be released on February 23, 2024.
Stakeholders are encouraged to express their perspectives on issues raised in the Competition Commission’s Statement of Issues, FSOI, and Requests for Information during the public hearing sessions. Additionally, participants can provide input on submissions from other stakeholders and raise any issues not currently known to the inquiry but falling within the defined scope. To participate, stakeholders must submit a request through the Inquiry Hearing form on the Competition Commission’s website and send it to mdpmi@compcom.co.za by 17:00 on Friday, February 9, 2024.
