The Digital Competition Bill, 2024

A Primer by Axiom5

Digital regulation is taking centre stage in 2024. The first quarter saw the publication of the draft Digital Competition Bill (DCB), a set of ex-ante rules for digital markets, by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). The rest of the year promises to be eventful, with numerous digital regulations expected to be passed or implemented. The DCB, which forms a part of the Committee on Digital Competition Law’s Report, comes at a time of increasing competition enforcement, and a rising chorus of protests by certain developers and businesses, against the business practices in the technology sector.

Our primer on the DCB, available here, undertakes an in-depth examination of several key aspects including: (i) the applicability of the DCB; (ii) the obligations contained in the DCB, along with illustrative examples of their potential application; (iii) the procedure for inquiry under the DCB; and (iv) the penalties that may be imposed for violations of the DCB.

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