Data Protection and Competition: A Shared Goal

Date12 December 2023
Room Paris et online

Background

On December 12, 2023, the CNIL, the Competition Authority, and the Toulouse School of Economics organized an event titled “Data Protection and Competition: A Shared Goal.” This half-day event was aimed at professionals, researchers, institutions, and members of civil society.

The digital transformation of the economy and society has given rise to numerous products and services that use large amounts of personal data. Now an integral part of our daily lives, they are revolutionizing the way citizens, businesses, and institutions interact.

For businesses, this transformation has sparked a race for innovation to avoid falling behind the competition; data is often the foundation of this innovation or a key factor in competitiveness.

Data collection and usage practices are becoming increasingly complex, and data is thus becoming a strategic asset for businesses. The terms under which data is shared represent a competitive issue: this may involve the use of cookies by platforms to deliver targeted online advertising or the geolocation data from connected vehicles.

In this context, how can we strike a balance between innovation, fair competition, and the introduction of privacy-respecting products and services to the market?

The answer lies, at least in part, in the implementation of coordinated regulation among the authorities responsible for these issues. Indeed, digital transformation, data protection, and competition can no longer be regulated independently of one another. In Europe and around the world, common approaches are emerging.

On these issues, the CNIL and the Competition Authority (AdlC) have long cooperated to protect both individuals’ data and competition in the markets.

Similarly, leveraging the synergies between the CNIL and the AdlC is essential for consumers and their freedom of choice.

To provide an overview of the relationship between data protection and competition, the CNIL, the Competition Authority, and TSE organized an event titled “Data Protection and Competition: A Shared Goal” on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event brought together professionals, researchers, institutional representatives, and members of civil society.

On this occasion, Marie-Laure Denis, Chair of the CNIL, and Benoît Cœuré, Chair of the Competition Authority, issued a joint statement (in French) published on the CNIL’s website following the event. This statement reviews the context of this cooperation, its economic role, and how it aligns with the two institutions’ main regulatory objectives.

“Data Protection and Competition: A Shared Goal,” December 12, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Programme : 9h à 12h30

9:30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Marie-Laure DENIS, President of the CNIL

9:35 a.m.: Address by Jean TIROLE, Honorary President of the Toulouse School of Economics

10:05 a.m.: Roundtable: Data Protection and Competition in the European Digital Package

Moderator: Bruno JULLIEN, Research Director at the CNRS and Researcher at TSE. With the participation of:

Brice ALLIBERT, Head of the Antitrust Unit: IT, Internet, and Consumer Electronics at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP)
Bruno LASSERRE, Chair of the Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA) and member of the CNIL Board
Juliette ROUILLOUX-SICRE, Chair of the MEDEF Digital Regulations Committee
Dorothée ROUZET, Chief Economist at the Directorate General of the Treasury
Alexandre de STREEL, Academic Co-Director of the Center on Regulation in Europe (CERRE), Professor at the University of Namur (Belgium) and at Sciences Po Paris

11:35 a.m.: Presentation of the joint statement by the CNIL and the Competition Authority

Moderator: Alexandre de STREEL. With the participation of: