The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has highlighted legislative and regulatory developments, key trends, and potential and emerging competition and consumer issues as the key focus areas of the tenth and final report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry, due in March 2025.

The report is set to provide an update on recent developments in digital platform markets, identify emerging issues, and chart major developments overseas and their impact on consumers and competition. The report will also provide updated information relating to some of its observations from earlier reports of the Inquiry, including the September 2020 report on Online Private Messaging and the March 2021 Report on App Marketplaces.

The ACCC will examine changes to the offerings of these services, including as a result of recent technological advancements. The report will also identify adjustments in the scale and identity of the key suppliers of these services, including where there are new entrants.

"The report will be a chance to take a global view and see what challenges and opportunities exist worldwide. The ACCC's work on digital platforms over the past five years has already led to changes in our economy and to benefits for consumers. But Australia can learn and benefit from developments elsewhere," said ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

The ACCC's final report will also consider potential or emerging competition and consumer issues in digital platform services in Australia which have not previously been examined, such as online gaming. The ACCC also proposes to examine potential competition issues relating to generative AI, including the high barriers to entry in the market and the potential for large digital platforms to strengthen and expand their market power through the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs).

"We are following recent developments in generative AI closely. Adoption has been extensive, and this technology continues to expand and develop at a rapid pace. Generative AI products and services may present new opportunities, but also new challenges with major implications for our work," said Cass-Gottlieb.

The ACCC may also report on recent and current legal action domestically and internationally, including Epic Games' current action against Apple and Google underway in Australia.

"We recognise that in many cases international legislation is only recently enacted so the full impact may not be clear. But many jurisdictions have matched our ambition in finding a balance between competition in the digital marketplace and protecting consumers," Cass-Gottlieb said.

Submissions to the ACCC for the final report are due by 23 August 2024. "We are now asking consumers, business owners and others to share their views on the issues we outline so that they can help shape the final report," said Cass-Gottlieb.