The Government accepted the view of the CMA's market study and the Furman Review, that not enough is done to address the systematic harms associated with dominant platforms, such as Google in Facebook, in the digital advertising, general search and social media markets.

The new pro-competition regime would ensure competitions concerns were pre-empted and addressed, boosting innovation and growth across the economy; promoting the overall economic health of the advertising sector and protecting users against exploitative practices.

In summary:

• The Government agrees with the need for an enforceable code for firms with significant market power, as this would facilitate competition in digital markets funded by online advertising.

• The code will be a significant intervention in the Government’s effort to support the sustainability of the news publishing industry, delivering on proposals put forward by the Cairncross Review. This would help to rebalance the relationship between publishers and the online platforms.

• The Government intends to introduce a agrees that a dedicated Digital Markets Unit (DMU) to maintain and enforce the code of conduct. The DMU will be established as part of the CMA in 2021/22. The Government intends to consult on the establishment of the DMU.