How Should Canada Handle Big Data and Competition?

Official title: White paper on big data

Closed Policy & Studies Economy & Jobs Technology & Digital
The Competition Bureau asked how big data affects competition in Canada. Tech giants collect massive amounts of user data—does that give them unfair advantages? This consultation gathered views from businesses, lawyers, and privacy experts on whether competition rules need updating for the digital age.

Why This Matters

Ever wonder why the same few companies seem to dominate online? Big data might be part of the answer. When tech giants know everything about your shopping habits, they can outcompete smaller businesses. This affects the prices you pay and the choices you have.

What Could Change

Competition rules could be updated to address data-driven market power. The Bureau might develop new approaches for reviewing mergers involving data-rich companies. Privacy and competition enforcement could become more coordinated.

Key Issues

  • Does big data create barriers that prevent new competitors from entering markets?
  • How should competition law address data-driven market power?
  • What's the relationship between privacy protection and competition policy?

What Happened

The Competition Bureau received written submissions from 10 organizations including the Canadian Bankers Association, Microsoft, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and several legal associations. All submissions are publicly available on this page.

Key Documents