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G7 Competition Authorities andPolicymakers’ Summit
Digital Competition CommuniquéTokyo, Japan, 8 November 2023
1.

We, G7 competition authorities and policymakers, met in Tokyo on 8 November 2023
to discuss competition in digital markets with the aim of promoting competitivemarkets and effective competition law enforcement. G7 competition enforcers came
together with G7 policymakers as it is increasingly important to both use existing
competition enforcement tools and to develop and implement new or updated
competition policy initiatives or regulatory and competition frameworks. The plan toorganize this summit was agreed among us through the Ministerial Declaration ofthe G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting on 30 April 2023. This summit was hostedby Japan Fair Trade Commission and Secretariat of Headquarters for Digital MarketCompetition of the Cabinet Secretariat.

2.

The 2019 “Common Understanding of G7 Competition Authorities on ‘Competition
and the Digital Economy’” recognizes that robust competition policy can help tounlock the benefits of digital markets and that the competitive implications of thedigital transformation call for the attention, use, and adaptation of competition lawand policy. The 2021 G7 policymakers’ “Shared Policy Objectives for Competition inDigital Markets” statement reaffirms policymakers’ aim to promote a proactive
approach to drive open competition in fast-moving digital markets.

Our Initiatives to Promote and Protect Competition in Digital Markets
3.

Digital markets can present competition concerns. Markets characterized by
network effects, economies of scale, digital ecosystems, and accumulations of large
amounts of data can be prone to increasing or creating barriers to entry, tipping, anddominance. We need to be vigilant and attentive to concerns regarding effectivefunctioning of digital markets given the risk of lack of competition, limited consumer
choice, and reduction in innovation due to limited contestability of markets as well1

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as anticompetitive and unfair conduct.
4.

G7 competition authorities and policymakers have begun to tackle the myriad
competition concerns in the digital economy by taking action to combat
anticompetitive conduct and mergers in digital markets and updating, reviewing or
looking to strengthen laws and rules related to the digital economy. Somejurisdictions have adopted new ex-ante regulations complementing existing
competition law to mitigate certain anticompetitive and unfair practices of digitalfirms. G7 competition authorities and policymakers are committed to applying
competition law and regulatory tools to digital markets to address concerns such as
exclusionary or exploitative practices of digital firms, barriers that entrench andmaintain incumbents, as well as killer acquisitions, among others.

5.

The speed at which competition harm can occur in these markets means actions
and enforcement must occur within a meaningful timeframe to prevent digital firms
from becoming entrenched. Learning from interventions and honing approaches toremedies will help to promote greater competition and discourage future
anticompetitive conduct. We will continue to take action by enforcing competition
laws, improving the existing regulatory toolboxes, and developing new regulatory
frameworks, to the extent necessary.

6.

To aid in these efforts to address competition in digital markets, we will keep
expanding institutional capabilities and resources to ensure that competition
principles are applied to digital markets and emerging technologies. This can include
building internal capacity by adding technological expertise, creating new techfocused units, and undertaking horizon scanning, research, and market inquiries tounderstand business practices, emerging technologies, and the evolution ofcompetition in digital markets.

Our Commitment to Address Competition Concerns Arising from
Emerging Technologies
7.

As the digital economy evolves, new technologies, such as generative artificial
intelligence (AI), blockchain and metaverse are emerging, allowing somebusinesses developing or using those technologies to grow rapidly. Emerging
technologies such as generative AI can stimulate disruptive innovation and present
inflection points for markets and economies. While new, transformative technologies
can encourage more competitive markets, there is also potential competition harm.
Anticompetitive mergers or exclusionary conduct can quickly tip emerging digital2別添１

markets and give one or a few dominant firms control over developing technologies.
Inaction can be especially costly in these markets because consolidated power canstifle the rate and distort the path of innovation.
8.

It is essential that G7 competition authorities and policymakers understandemerging technologies and their impacts on competition. This enables us toanticipate and address competition concerns at an earlier stage and take swift andproportionate action based on rigorous analysis to prevent harm to competition,contestability, and innovation more generally. In this context, G7 competition
authorities and policymakers are using their enhanced skillsets to scan the horizon
for early warning signs of conduct or market factors that might make markets tip or
reduce contestability as well as to identify key technologies and issues that may
raise competition concerns in the future. Horizon scanning includes various forwardlooking approaches such as desk research, market surveys and stakeholderengagement. It enables G7 competition authorities and policymakers to follow how
existing technologies evolve and are being used to enhance or diminish competition.
It also enables us to identify new technologies and their implications for digitalmarkets.

9.

The trajectory of the use of new technologies and their impacts on competition canbe shaped by a range of policy and enforcement choices that aim to maintain open
and competitive markets. We are committed to using the full range of regulatory
tools and developing the institutional resources and knowledge necessary to
anticipate competition issues in the digital economy of tomorrow and help to ensure
these technologies can benefit people, businesses and the wider economy.

10.

Among these technologies, AI, especially generative AI has potential to benefit
people and businesses, and boost productivity and growth. However, AI raises
possible competition concerns, alongside a variety of other issues such astransparency, disinformation, intellectual property rights, privacy and protection ofpersonal data.

11.

There are several key inputs for the development and deployment of large-scale AI.
Currently, massive amounts of data are necessary to train generative AI models.
Generative AI also requires a skilled engineering and research work force withexpertise in areas such as machine learning and natural language processing.
Significant computational resources such as cloud computing services and largescale computing power also are critical. An inability to access these key inputs may
inhibit competition to develop AI and AI applications, reducing innovation and3

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harming consumers.
12.

Incumbent tech firms that control these key AI inputs or adjacent markets could harm
rivals with anticompetitive conduct such as bundling, tying, exclusive dealing, or selfpreferencing. Incumbents could also use acquisitions or partnerships to facilitatesuch conduct or to further entrench existing positions of market power or create newones. Control over data and the network effects of AI markets could create barriers
to entry and enable concentration or dominance, limiting the ability of startups andnew entrants to compete. As firms increasingly rely on AI to set prices to consumers,
there is risk that such tools could facilitate collusion or unfairly raise prices.

13.

As companies deploy and monetize AI, G7 competition authorities and policymakers
emphasize that current competition law applies to AI development, products, anduses. Our agencies have the legal authority to address AI-driven competitive harm,
which new AI-specific laws and policies may complement. We recognize and areprepared to address the risks that the development and use of AI become dominatedby a few players with the market power to prevent the full competitive benefits of AI.

We Recognize the Need for Internal and International Cooperation on
Digital Competition
14.

Since the digital economy has effects on a significant range of regulatory and policy
areas, such as consumer protection, data privacy and cyber security, it is important
for relevant government departments, authorities, and regulators to consider the roleof effective competition alongside other issues and work closely with each other inorder to address systemic issues in consistent and effective ways.

15.

The G7 is an important forum for fostering international collaboration and building
shared knowledge. Our cooperation rests on mutual interests and values, and we
aim to identify coherent and effective approaches. Business activities in the digital
economy often cross borders and raise the same or similar competition orcontestability issues. Therefore, we believe that it is essential to facilitate closeinternational cooperation among G7 competition authorities and policymakers. This
cooperation helps us to address common issues and challenges, such as
implementing, revising, planning and enforcing laws and regulatory tools related todigital competition. Through our close partnerships, we will further strengthen ourcooperation by sharing knowledge and experiences concerning existing andemerging technologies, new and revised laws, ex-ante regulations and otherregulatory tools, and law enforcement developments in digital markets.
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As to emerging technologies such as generative AI, further discussions among us
are needed on competition and contestability issues raised by those technologies
and how current and new tools can address these adequately. Also, it is important
to share our experiences and insights for understanding and anticipating future
developments in products and services using new technologies and their impacts
on competition and innovation.

Next Steps
17.

To inform future cooperation and coordination on digital competition, G7 competition
authorities and policymakers will continue to share updates on approaches topromoting competition in digital markets, including legal reforms, policy advances,institutional changes, and enforcement developments. G7 competition authorities
will share their insights and understanding about emerging technologies and theirimpacts on competition. Also, in terms of enhancing timely and flexible cooperation,
G7 policy makers seek to facilitate ad hoc discussions and exchanges of experienceby utilizing the point of contact group announced in the Ministerial Declaration. Our
cooperation and coordination are based on and strengthen our commitments to taketimely, relevant, and appropriate enforcement and regulatory action to protectcompetition in digital markets in each of our economies.

18.

Building on the results of the 2023 G7 digital competition work and summit, we willcontinue to engage in discussions at expert level with the aim of developing thetopics and preparing a digital competition summit under Italy’s presidency in 2024.

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