Parliamentary panel to discuss anti-competitive practices by big tech firms

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The Standing Committee on Finance has called a meeting on Thursday to discuss issues concerning anti-competitive practices by big tech companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter. In the day-long meeting, as per the schedule posted on the Lok Sabha website, the parliamentary panel will be hearing views of hospitality, restaurants and travel agents associations on the subject 'Anti-Competitive Practices by Big-tech companies'.

The panel, headed by former minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha, will also hear the views of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on the subject. In the third session, the representatives of digital media and newspaper associations will depose before the panel.

The agenda papers for the sitting have already been mailed to the members and the same have been uploaded on members portal, it added. Earlier this year, the panel had held a series of meeting on the subject with various stakeholders, including the regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI), Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Representatives of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and others too were summoned by the panel. The CCI Act was initiated in 2002 and last amended in 2007. A bill to amend the Act is also under consideration wherein provisions are likely to be introduced to deal with anti-competition practices of tech giants.